Plight of Persephone
by D.Minx
Summary: After the Titan 'incident' Hades is outcast and alone, he comes across Persephone who is also lonely and something sparks. Can they really make it work, or will the many obsticles threatening to break them apart succeed... Rated T as it gets a little dark
1. The Aftermath of the Titan 'Incident'

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter One:The Aftermath of the Titan 'Incident' **_

The sunshine crept across her bedroom floor bathing the room in a soft green light as pale curtains covered the worst of it. A white skinned girl screwed up her button nose keeping her eyes tight shut letting out an irritated sigh.

'Why can't the stupid idiot go the other way for a change?' She groaned then turned over and pulled the blanket over her head, covering her eyes from the light and snuggled down.

'Oh Cora!' Her mother's voice sing-songed down the corridor. The girl shuddered at the silly nick-name her mother had given her years ago.

'Ah, here it comes… right on time as usual.' She muttered irritably. Didn't this woman know what a sleep was?

'Time to get up pumpkin!' A green skinned woman with short golden curls trilled but her daughter merely yawned sleepy.

'Persephone's not in right now but if you leave a message she'll get back to you later.' She wiggled deeper into the bed as her mother appeared in the doorway.

'Come on Cora… you can't waste your life laid in bed.' Persephone finally opened her eyes and scowled in the direction of the doorway. She could have if her mother wasn't standing there nagging her to get up.

'What do I have to get up for?' Persephone asked pulling the covers down, she sat up looking at the Goddess of Nature who was leaning in the doorway. 'It's not like I have anything to do.' Demeter smiled at her daughter affectionately.

'Oh you haven't forgotten have you? Today is the start of the Harvest season and I usually to go to Olympus-' Persephone rolled her eyes. Of course, how could she forget? That's all her mother ever banged on about and this 'incident' with the Titans had made it worse. '-but I don't want to leave you alone… especially after what happened this summer.' Persephone blinked stunned. Demeter sounded as if she were in two minds whether to go or not.

'Mother… you must go! It wouldn't be the Harvest Festival without you and the mortals need you to bless their crops now more than ever!' She looked appalled. Demeter blinked then smiled at her daughter.

'You're right… I'm being silly aren't I?' She chuckled warmly as Persephone flashed a girly smile at her mother then lent forward.

'You must go mother… you've not left home since the Titans attacked and I'm sure all your friends miss you besides, today would be the perfect time for your _grand_ _return_.' Persephone narrowed her eyes and smiled slyly. This time Demeter eyed her daughter suspiciously.

'What are you planning?' She said firmly with her hands on her hips.

'Moi? Plan?' Persephone blinked surprised. 'Mother how could you say such a thing?' Demeter eyed her daughter's innocent face for a moment then smiled and relaxed.

'Oh I'm sorry dear… I guess with everything that's happened I'm just a little-'

'-Lost?' Persephone supplied and her mother nodded. 'See, you need to go… and don't worry about me I got the nymphs to watch my back.' Closing her eyes Persephone smiled widely as if she had just proved a complicated fact, this made Demeter chuckle and move forward to cup her daughter's beautiful face.

'You're right Cora… I do need to go to Olympus, Gaia knows it's been a good few months and I do miss some of the other gods-' Demeter broke off and looked thoughtful then let go of her daughter and sighed. 'Of course if I go then I won't be back for a good few weeks... the mortals will probably still be spooked about the whole event.'

'See… they need you more than I do.' Persephone said firmly.

'I know… I know but it's always so hard for me to leave you.' She sighed holding Persephone's dainty white hands in her chubby green ones. For a moment Demeter looked sad then she suddenly she smiled. 'Unless you come with me.' Persephone blinked surprised then shook her head firmly remembering how awful Hercules' birth celebration had been.

'No way! You know how I feel about _that_ _place_.' Demeter blinked confused clearly not following her daughter's feelings.

'What's wrong with Olympus?' Persephone rolled her eyes.

'Forget it mother… have fun tonight and don't get too drunk 'kay?'

'Now who's parenting who?' Demeter chuckled before turning serious. 'You have fun then but remember stay safe sweetheart and if anything happens-'

'I know, I know just scream and hide like the nymphs do.' Persephone rolled her eyes and Demeter smiled fondly at her.

'That's my girl.' She got up and walked back to the door before turning around. 'Are you sure you'll be alright?'

'You're stalling mother…' Persephone sing-songed then smiled. 'I'll be fine now go before Zeus sends out a search party.' Demeter nodded at this and sighed.

'I'll be back as soon as I can… goodbye Cora, love you.' She turned away and Persephone sighed before calling back.

'Mother?' Demeter popped her head around the door.

'Yes my little flower?' Persephone cringed with embarrassment.

'Can you please call me Persephone… I'm not a little kid anymore.' Demeter blinked confused then waved her daughter's words away.

'We'll see… ta-ta darling mommy must fly.' She said cheerily then wandered off down the hallway humming softly. Persephone fell back on the bed.

'Thank the Fates.' She sighed. 'I'm one hundred and six and she still treats me like I'm six… what did I do to deserve this?'

* * *

Hades was slumped in his high-backed chair wondering the exact same thing as he waited for his two minions who were fussing with some papers ready for the latest quarterly review.

Over the last three months he had first endured the Vortex of Fire for a whole week before being booted out by the souls, who had finally had enough of his foul mouth and violent threats to do them an eternity. After a few days of trying to recover from his ordeal, from which he had been left visibly and mentally shaken, Zeus had arrived looking furious and dragged a protesting Hades to Olympus and put him on a lengthy trial. This had just been some stupid publicity stunt devised by Zeus to humiliate Hades for his actions, and it resulted in a council decision to exile the god from Olympus and all godly gatherings until such a time that he proved himself trustworthy.

'Sir?' A small panicky voice cut through his thoughts and Hades' yellow eyes suddenly focused on the imp who had spoken. 'We're um… ready to begin.' Panic said and for a moment Hades merely looked at the green imp before finally sighing.

'Fine, ok… lay it on me.' He said in a monotonous voice wondering why he was even bothering.

'The numbers are up your viciousness-' Pain said happily. '-the Titan attack this summer brought our numbers up by twenty percent.' Ordinarily Hades would have been ecstatic about the increase of arrivals but it was hard to get excited when he couldn't even gloat to anybody about it at the next Olympian meeting.

'Yeh… the Titans flattened several farming settlements on their way to Olympus, and that Cyclopes guy you sent after Hercules destroyed a whole downtown district in Thebes.' Panic added desperately noticing Pain's words failed to gain the desired reaction.

'That's great boys… just great.' He sighed glumly and this made the two imps glance at each other confused before unfurling the large scroll that recorded the arrivals so Hades could see the graph clearly. It's large red line had a huge upsurge where he'd attacked Olympus then it dipped dangerously low and he raised a brow at the imps.

'What's this dip afterwards about?' He asked them and they glanced at it.

'Well… um… that's the usual summer slump-' Pain started nervously.

'-but the numbers before have increased our summer intake to the highest in centuries.' Panic instantly tried to put a positive spin on it but Hades wasn't listening.

'Right, right… so is that everything?' He said waving them off and the imps blinked amazed.

'Well… the gift shop Death and Stuff remains steady… there's no major increase there since the last review.' Hades however wasn't interested.

'Nahh… enough of that. So what ya got for me today then boys?' He sighed hoping it wasn't much as he wasn't as interested in his work as he used to be. Pain and Panic shuffled their papers and continued.

'Not a lot your most impatient one… you have a few new arrivals-' Pain started.

'Just ram 'em in the Styx.' Hades cut him off rolling his eyes.

'Yes sir… you also have an appointment with-' Panic responded but was also cut off.

'Cancel it… I do _not_ wanna see anybody anytime soon.' Hades scowled at the imps now.

'Well you have a new recruit for Tartarus.' Pain said next and suddenly Hades looked interested.

'Oh yeh… got any info on this yutz?' He lent forward grinning a small smile. Pain and Panic flashed a smile at each other. Nothing perked up Hades like a soul to torment. Panic flicked through his papers and handed Pain a small pile stapled in the corner.

'Yeh… the guy's name is Tantalus and it says he-' Pain pulled a face. '-served his son to Zeus and company for dinner.' Panic pulled a disgusted face.

'Ewww… why would anybody wanna do that?'

'I know-' Pain responded turning to his partner. '-Zeus is so picky about what he eats.'

'So he's a cannibal huh? Well he'll fit in well if he's a defiant little schlub like the rest of those losers down there… Dad might even take a shine to him seein' as how they both ate their sons.' Hades lent back trying to think of a torment but inspiration seemed to be on a coffee break. 'Eh… I'll come back to that one, just keep him chained 'til I figure out something… anything else?' He asked and the imps suddenly looked nervous.

'Just one last thing sir… Cerberus is due his annual shot.' Hades blinked surprised.

'What? _Already_!' He flared momentarily annoyed. 'I still got the memories from the last time I tried to do that!!' He shuddered at the memory of Cerberus snarling, biting and slashing chitons in a vain attempt to get away from Hades as he _tried _to give the stupid three-headed mutt it's flea shot. Still, he'd pick that over another trip in the Vortex of Fire.

'Alright, fine.' He added sourly then vanished on the spot. Pain and Panic blinked for a minute confused at the now empty chair. Pain turned to Panic.

'Hey, you don't think he's actually gonna do it. Do you?' He asked his green partner.

'No of course he isn't-' Panic started then looked wide-eyed.

The imps shot into the throne room just in time to find Hades flicking the large syringe filled with green liquid. His face was completely blank as he inspected the needle then turned to leave the throne room via the stairs to the Styx.

'Sir?' Panic nervously asked making him stop. 'You aren't gonna do it yourself are you?' Hades turned to look at his two minions who were both staring at him terrified.

'Got any better ideas?' He asked dryly then smiled grimly at their blank looks. 'Didn't think so.' He turned back but Pain spoke.

'Shouldn't a vet do that?' He asked and this made Hades smirk.

'You do remember that Cerberus tried to eat the last vet that tried to get anywhere near him.' The imps glanced at each other but didn't respond. It was true. Cerberus wasn't exactly the worlds best candidate for a trip to the vets. By the time the imps had thought of another argument they found the throne room empty as Hades had already left.

* * *

Little Notes:

I decided it was time to do a little tidying up of my previous chaps and sort out the notes a little…

…might take a while.

I decided to change the chap title here as the previous one didn't fit the content..

Lots of Love Ditzy xXx


	2. Immortality is such a Drag!

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Two:Immortality Is Such A Drag **_

Hades walked somewhat nervously across the path of the Styx, the memories of the hissing voices and the feeling of constant terror in the Vortex of Fire flashed before his eyes. He kept as far away from the wide river as possible as ever since he had re-emerged from the Vortex he had developed a phobia of water, preferring to stay as far away from anything that was wet and deeper than a bathtub. Reaching the point of the Styx where he could just make out the large mass of the enormous canine Hades sighed. There was no way of surprising the mutt, who to it's credit might be useless when it came to simple commands such as 'sit' and 'stay'. However he was certainly smart enough to recognise flea medication and remember the pain of the injections.

Hades didn't want to hurt the mutt as deep down he was very fond of Cerberus. Unfortunately, Cerberus seemed to be a kind of Elysian Fields for fleas. How in Tartarus fleas survived in the Underworld was beyond Hades never mind how the mutt had caught them in the first place.

Shaking the thoughts away Hades bit into his last piece of determination and flew in a enormous arc over the wide waters of the Styx landing with a small thump on the opposite side where the large dog was. Cerberus' three heads whipped around to his master wide-eyed with surprise at the unexpected visit. For one brief moment the mutt looked pleased to see him; at least he was until his six red eyes cottoned on to the syringe in Hades' left hand. Then the eyes narrowed and the growling started.

'Alright, alright… easy…' Hades said soothingly but Cerberus was having none of it. He lowered himself and backed away from Hades all eyes fixed on the needle. 'C'mon buddy I ain't gonna hurt ya.' Hades advanced cautiously now as Cerberus bared his teeth. It always amazed Hades how all three of Cerberus' heads seemed to have a personality of it's own. The head on the right was eyeing the needle with worry; the middle head eyed it with anger and the left head was looking at Hades with distrust. All three heads growled louder as Hades drew closer.

'That's it… just stay there… easy big guy… it _all_ be over in a sec, ok?' Hades was trying to sooth him but the next second the middle head lunged at him. Hades levitated and hovered six feet in the air to avoid the teeth. 'Hey! Watch the threads will ya… I'm running outta clothes as it is!' He bellowed infuriated. Cerberus ignored this and snapped again with all three heads. Hades shot out of the way in surprise.

'Oh-hoh! So ya wanna play it that way do ya?' Hades leered at the three-headed mutt with undisguised affection. So Cerberus was a pea-brained idiot but hey, he was _his_ idiot. For a good few minutes Cerberus lunged at Hades continuously and every time the Lord of the Underworld narrowly avoided the large jaws. Finally Cerberus growled angrily about to clamp down on his master but Hades vanished and reappeared on the dog's back.

'Sorry Cerb… gotta be done.' Hades muttered sliding the syringe in and pushing the plunger. Cerberus whined then slumped to the ground mumping sulkily.

Satisfied that he'd got away without getting a robe slashing this time, Hades slumped back onto the black fur of Cerberus' back and lit a cigar. After Hades took a few long lazy drags Cerberus finally sank all three heads depressed, making his master slide forwards so his feet were around the mutt's middle neck. Surprised Hades sat up and leaned over.

'Sheesh! Your takin' this pretty hard don'tcha think?' Hades smirked amused taking another drag but Cerberus snorted. 'No? Well I think ya are… in fact I think your bein' a big baby 'bout it.' Cerberus growled at him but Hades still smirked.

'Hey, don't get mad with me… I'm just tellin' it like it is… So, how 'bout I make it up to ya? Ya like that huh?' Hades asked him and Cerberus gave a small bark. 'Yeh… I thought ya would ya overgrown fleabag.' He said giving the middle head an affectionate rub with his knuckles. This earned him a lick from the other two heads.

'Alright, alright, knock it off ya sap.' He smirked then grinned wider spotting Pain and Panic skulking nearby. 'Hey Cerberus… you seein' what I'm seein'?' He asked the mutt slyly who sat up slightly wary of his master's presence on his back. Cerberus sniffed the air and recognised the scent of his two favourite chew-toys then he too spotted them. Whining like an excited puppy he glanced at Hades waiting impatiently for his say-so. Hades levitated off of the mutt's back hovering just above him. Cerberus instantly lowered into a pouncing stance while narrowing his eyes and baring his three sets of teeth with a low throaty growl.

'Wait for it, wait for it… ok… _Sic_ '_em_!' Hades muttered then bellowed the command startling the two imps who had been taking a break from their work nearby. Their faces turned from shock to fear as Cerberus had pounced on Hades' command. The two imps shrieked with fear and shot off with Cerberus chasing them while barking and growling. Hades fell to the ground laughing before composing himself with difficulty still grinning and waited. After a moments silence both imps began screaming in agony and Hades started laughing again.

* * *

Persephone was sat under a willow tree in her gloomy grove of the woods, the sun was at its peak behind her and she knew her mother's Festival had begun now. Hopefully, with the disturbance that happened this summer her mother would be kept far too busy, so she would not be able to check up on her daughter as often as she usually did. Persephone had to hand it to Hades; he might have caused everybody else a great hardship but in an ironic way, he had just done her a massive favour by keeping her mother busy. Too bad she'd never be able to thank him.

She'd only met Hades twice in her life. Well… using 'met' loosely speaking of course, they had never talked and he probably didn't know she existed. She on the other hand, had known he existed ever since their first 'encounter' at Peleus and Thetis' wedding nearly fifty years ago. It was Persephone's first time at a 'proper' Olympian event. Zeus and Hera weren't too bothered about her attending events since she didn't have a purpose as a goddess and they weren't going to force her to pick something. She was free to wander around and talk to who she liked as her mother was busy with her friends.

Persephone had spent most of the night with Hermes as they found out they had a fair bit in common, they both had grown up around nymphs. This being the case they were both fluent in nymph language, and spent a lot of time winding the other gods up with their nymph conversations, which were a series of squeaks, giggles and clicks.

Somewhere about this time Aries had grown bored and started a riot between three major goddess' with a stupid golden apple. While the three had been arguing Persephone had been drawn to the sound of laughter from a rather mysterious god beside Aries, he seemed to have shown up just as the argument had started. He had blue flames for hair with pale greyish-blue skin, a long angular face and bright gold eyes. He was dressed in black and had smoky wisps coming from the bottom of his chiton. He was so different from the handsome gods of Olympus and Aries had called him 'Hades'. At the time Persephone had no idea what it was that drew her to him, apart from that wide crooked smirk that made her feel a strange sense of butterflies in her stomach. Demeter had found her moments later and whisked her off home. Persephone had found out from Hermes a little more about Hades a few days later and about a war that had started up because of that stupid apple.

As the years passed she and Hermes developed a brotherly-sister bond, and she never saw Hades again but for some reason he wouldn't go away.

It wasn't until eighteen years ago that she saw him again at the party for Hercules' birth. The party had been so dull and boring, after listening to Zeus' speech Persephone had gone to inspect the gifts with interest. She was curious to see what people had got the baby. It was at this point the room went silent and Persephone whipped around to see why and heard his voice.

'How sentimental… I haven't been this _choked_ _up_ since I got a hunk of musaka caught in my throat.' She had smirked but nobody else seemed to get that he was joking.

'What is this? An audience or a mosaic?' Persephone smiled widely at Hades' voice. She'd pulled away from the presents to have a glimpse at him, just to see if he was still how she remembered. Hiding behind the nearest pillar so nobody could see her she watched Hades with interest. He was exactly as she remembered him being and her heart seemed to flutter at the sight of him. The tiny smile on her face fell at the rough treatment he received off of Zeus. Persephone had frowned. Didn't that idiot know how to control his strength? Persephone had listened to Hades try and put a light front on and brush off this embarrassment, but she could see the annoyance in his eyes and his chipped reply as Zeus asked him to stay with false concern. Then Persephone glared as Zeus made a joke at Hades' expense and she glowered around the room in annoyance as every god laughed except her, Hermes who had just flown back into the room at that point and Heista who was also frowning with disapproval.

Hades stormed off as Zeus and the others continued to roar with laughter.

'If only, if only.' Hades had muttered brushing past her and she caught a waft of his aftershave. A hint of spice and burnt wood with an effusion of sulphur; strangely appealing. Persephone watched him leave with large pitying eyes and lent on the pillar.

'Why do they ridicule you so much?' She had sighed after him. It made Persephone angry to see the other gods, including her mother, treat one of their own so shabbily. At that point she made a vow never to set foot on Olympus again if she could help it.

Persephone sighed and lent back against the tree with her head in her hands. She hadn't thought of Hades in years… why was she thinking of him now? Especially since the last guy she'd dated had dumped her for a mortal girl. Persephone had never been so furious in her life before. She didn't blame the mortal girl for what happened, but Persephone wanted revenge on the stupid idiot who'd dared to insult her by dumping her for a _mortal_, was she not an immortal goddess who's loveliness Hermes always said matched Aphrodite's? Persephone, who had knocked back several gods including Apollo time and time again when they repeatedly asked her on a date?

Persephone had dealt with the two-timing rat severely. Death was the only punishment befitting a snivelling piece of arrogant trash like him. Hermes of course had told her not to bother but Persephone disregarded his advice and carried out her plan, infecting a boar with rage so that it mauled him while hunting. His little 'kitten' appeared sobbing but unfortunately Demeter had summoned her daughter away, so Persephone didn't see his dying moments but it was bound to be worth a Nemmey as Mr Smug was always such a drama queen… or should that be prince?

Persephone snickered at the memory and looked around her quiet peaceful grove. Sat under the shady willow she was well out of the sun with a perfect view of the grove. Persephone plucked a pomegranate from the bush nearest her and breaking it open she smiled at the sparkling seeds before eating. It was just another lazy day on Sicily…

* * *

Little Notes:

Firstly let's talk about and the whole Cerberus has fleas debate here. As for how can Cerberus have fleas in the first place… hey, he's a dog people, they could pick them up anywhere besides this is Disney so let's drop the rules of reality and enjoy the story.

The whole Hades/Cerberus relationship fascinates me I must admit. In the series of Hercules you see Hades trying to teach Cerberus to track down Zeus and the Lord of the Underworld later calls the puppy 'cute' when he finds him asleep. In this tale Hades is alone and outcast so he would probably spend more time with the dog than before so I made him more perceptive of Cerberus' growls and barks as if the two were having a conversation. Most pet owners should agree that they alone at least seem to have an understanding of what their pet's body language and noises say right? I'll go ahead and admit I'm using my dog as a bases for Cerberus in this story as their both young lively puppies. Cerberus will come back into the story later… I promise.

As for Persephone's trip down memory lane I wanted to suggest Persephone has always had the biggest crush on Hades because she never comes into the film or series at all so all we don't know her.

As for Persephone's mysterious ex-boyfriend who I'm sure your all dying to know who he is (if you look a t the clues you can easily figure it out) he will be popping up later in a juicy storyline I have for Hades/Persephone conflict which also links Persephone nicely to another character who was also burned by said jerk (major hint!) I promise Hercules will make an appearance in the story later cause I love to see his embarrassed side!

Thanks again…

Lot's of Love Ditzy xXx


	3. Slow Minions and a Twist of Fate

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Three:Slow Minions and a twist of Fate, one happy God they make**_

After playing 'make the imps shriek' with Cerberus, Hades had perked up considerably from his gloomy mood that morning. He'd just appeared from the depths of Tartarus in a sickly happy mood after dealing with the 'Tantalus yutz' from earlier.

Since Hades loathed much soul contact, he devised each and every one of his 'residents' in Tartarus with a form of self-punishment. This ment he didn't have to sit around with them any longer than need be. He often came up from Tartarus snickering at his own genius and this time was no exception. Too bad he didn't have anybody to gloat to.

He sauntered over to find Charon unloading another couple of arrivals on the Styx dock still keeping clear of the water.

'Hey how ya doin'?' He beamed at the souls who looked confused. Definitely not the welcome they expected but Hades ignored their faces and carried on. 'Welcome to my Underworld home of eternal torment since the dawn of time so… hey, enjoy your stay.' He paused at this to savour the horrified looks of his souls. He'd recently taken to creeping them out since he literally had no other way to amuse himself. After a moment they passed him looking somewhat worried now and Hades whipped around as though having an afterthought.

'Oh and one more thing, watch out for the Vortex of Fire 'kay… that place really bites, lemmie tell ya.' He had to force himself not to smirk now as the souls looked completely traumatized then hastily jumped in the Styx just to get away from him. Hades burst into sniggers as they disappeared before composing himself and turning to Charon who was about to return upstream.

'Get's 'em every time huh?' He said lightly, however Charon neither looked interested or amused and just pushed off without reply.

'Geez Louise… don't be such a stick in the mud.' Wandering off Hades rolled his eyes. No wonder he spent most of his time here in a bad mood, his minions were as lively as the souls floating in the Styx.

Returning to the throne room Hades found it empty. Sighing he sat down suddenly feeling down again. Leaning back he glanced over at the chessboard on the opposite table. He hadn't played about with it since returning from the Vortex; hence why half the pieces were still char-grilled since his flaming hissy over loosing the cosmos.

'Geez I could use some company right about now.' He uttered to no-one in particular but to his shock the two imps appeared in front of him.

'Pain-' The pink imp said grinning widely.

'-and Panic-' The green one added smiling.

'-at your command.' They both chimed in with a traditional 'ta-da' pose. For a moment Hades merely looked stunned then he glared at the idiots before him.

'I ment _proper_ company!' He hissed venomously at the to imps his hair momentarily changing to orange as his nostrils flared impatiently. For a moment the imps both looked blankly at him.

'Oh…' They drawled together eventually, both clearly still lost.

'Psst… what does he mean by that?' Pain murmured at his partner.

'How should I know?' Panic replied rolling his eyes as Hades glared at them growing a nasty shade of red.

'_It means I want to speak to somebody other than you two_!!' He roared before vanishing in a swirl of smoke leaving the imps to themselves.

Pain and Panic looked stunned at their boss' disappearance for a long moment.

'Y'know… I get the feeling he don't like us very much.' Pain finally spoke and Panic slapped his head with disbelief at his partner.

'Have you been playing in the pool of Lethe again?' He asked Pain who looked blankly at him.

'No… at least… I don't think so.' The pink imp responded then shrugged and Panic pulled a pained grimace.

'I'll take that as a yes.' He eventually sighed irritably as Pain continued to smile blankly. The green imp grabbed his partner's arm. 'Come on dimwit… let's go for a bath in the pool of Memory before the boss get's back.'

* * *

Hades appeared in a grove with five willow trees and a pool of water in the middle of the clearing. He blinked disorientated for a moment. He hadn't really been thinking about where he would go when he vanished on the imps but the Fates must have brought him here for some ungodly reason.

The grove itself was fairly depressing with it's creepy willows that looked half-dead and the navy flower buds poking up by thorny bushes of black roses. Black roses? Hades blinked twice as though checking that this sinister paradise was for real before smiling and taking in the view. Hades was so engrossed by the groves eerie beauty that he failed to hear the gasp of surprise coming from behind him.

Persephone blinked in amazement at who had just appeared directly in front of her. She couldn't believe it. The only immortal being to ever stir any kind of passion in her was here right in front of her. She could feel the blush creeping over her cheeks as she gazed in awe at his figure. Pushing her feelings aside she put on a composed front.

'Hey.' She said a little louder than intended but at least it got his attention.

Startled Hades whipped around to see who had spoken then blinked in shock. A girl was sat cross-legged directly behind him partly covered by the wilting branches of the willow and it's pinky-grey blossoms. She had white skin and long blonde hair, her full cherry coloured lips smiled kindly at him below her tiny nose and intensely green eyes. Hades suddenly felt slightly embarrassed at having invaded the privacy of such a lovely girl.

'Hi… I'm not disturbin' ya am I?' Hades asked her instantly and she closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. He felt slightly relieved with that.

'Do you mind?' She said after a moment, fluttering her lashes innocently.

'Huh?' Hades sounded stupidly blinking confused but the girl merely smiled.

'You're blocking my view.' She added kindly and Hades' lips curled into a crooked smile.

'Oh yeh… what's wrong with this view?' He leered playfully.

'What's right with it?' She added smirking back in a playful manner. Unable to resist the give and take verbal game they had started Hades ploughed on.

'Hey watch it… I might have to hurt you.' He said in a mock-scold voice still eyeing her with the same mischievous look.

'Uh-huh… well I'm sure you'll enjoy watching me suffer.' She said lightly making the crooked smile widen considerably as Hades considered her words.

'Heh, maybe… you tryin' to tempt me huh?' His eyes narrowed as he moved his brow suggestively. This made her go all coy for a moment before she reined it in.

'Oh please…' The white-skinned girl got to her feet at this point and walked slowly to the willow branches separating the two of them. 'I'm sure that you're waay too smart to fall for that-' She peeled the branches apart like a pair of curtains. '-right Hades?' He blinked at her now as she was even prettier now that the branches and shadows of the tree weren't obscuring her. Sat down he hadn't noticed how short she was as she came up to his chest. She was wearing a dark purple chiton that he hadn't seen as her hair had covered it. It was a simply designed tight dress with no intricate detailing and cut off in a diagonal slant just above one knee. It flashed her incredible hourglass figure perfectly with enough hidden to tantalize the imagination. Then it suddenly dawned on him that she had just called him by his name…

'You know who I am?' He blurted out thoughtlessly and she smiled slightly at his words.

'Of course I do, we've met before.' She replied lightly then added as an afterthought. 'Sort of.' Hades gawped with disbelief at her. They had already met. He couldn't remember ever setting eyes on such a vision of perfection, and to think he'd be lusting pointlessly after Aphrodite when this little cutie had been in sight all along.

'I'm sorry, you'll have to refresh my memory babe.' Hades said eventually, pulling his face back from stunned and the girl smiled at him.

'I'm Persephone.' She said then added at his slightly confused look. 'Demeter's daughter.' This made Hades smirk amused and Persephone raised an eyebrow confused.

'I'm sorry, it's just you don't look anything like your mom.' He finally said composing himself and Persephone decided to take this as a complement.

'Thanks.' She smiled at him then ran her fingers over her hips. 'I try to stay in shape but it's kinda hard what with mother's cooking an' all.' She said lightly and Hades leered at her running his eyes over her curves before returning his eyes to her face.

'Well ya look amazing.' He said in a low and husky voice and this time Persephone really did blush a pale peachy colour at his words.

'Um… thanks… I guess.' She squirmed slightly and looked away making Hades think that he was being too forward. For a long moment there was an awkward pause as Persephone continued to look uncomfortable. Hades merely studied her as her reaction to his words was slightly odd; any other goddess usually told him to clear off at this point.

'So… what brings you to Sicily?' She finally asked suddenly reverting to her happy self.

'Boredom… so uh… I'm not gonna get in trouble for trespassing on your mommy's private isle am I?' Hades asked her slightly wary now as although Demeter could be very forgiving and she had not been present at his trial, he knew she might not be pleased to see him. Persephone giggled at him then flashed a mischievous smile.

'Only if you tick me off.' She said in a mock-warning tone placing her hands on her hips. Finding this defiant side of her irresistibly attractive Hades' lips twisted into a smirk.

'Trust me babe, that's the last thing I wanna do.' He said silkily making her smile wider.

* * *

Little Notes:

Ok, so in this chapter I have the introduction of our lovely skeleton dude Charon the Ferryman (big personality, not!) who's job it is to ferry souls. I have injected some personality into that guy as the story goes on, but for now he was the basis for my bad joke 'stick in the mud' (seemed like the kinda dreadful humour that Hades would come up with) and as for the whole spookin' the souls out thing… I'm sorry but again, I'm trying to show how bored Hades is on his own 'kay? Don't flame me…

Let's talk about Pain and Panic for a sec here. Now I've read a lot of fanfics and some just don't touch what I think is a very cute love/hate relationship between master and minions. I'm not saying I didn't like the fanfics because that would be a lie… I loved them all, your all such talented writers so kudos everybody! What I'm saying is that _**yes**_ Pain and Panic are the comedy act but their also the closet things that Hades has to a true ally, hence why he didn't just fire their butts when they fail him repeatedly because let's face it people… who in the right mind would stand that kind of shoddy service when there are dozens of other minions who are probably more capable of performing the job correctly. I'm do to try and bring some of the more pitiful aspects of their relationship out as despite their faults I think they are so cute and adorable!

Lastly, Hades met Persephone…

You have no idea how long I toyed with how they were eventually going to meet! Everything I came up with just sounded like a rip off of somebody else's idea (which just won't do) so I finally decided that it was going to be escapism on Hades' part. A pure accident that he came across her. It seemed to be more likely as he was a social outcast. Of course I toyed with the idea of making him nervous like he was in the series with Aphrodite but I figured for now that wasn't important as they had only just met and I wanted some of that good old smarmy Hades charm to come out first 'cause that's why we love him.

Thank you for bearing with me while I make the slight changes…

Lots of Love Ditzy xXx


	4. Why's there a Girl in the Underworld?

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Four:Why's there a Girl in the Underworld?**_

It was evening now and Persephone was still sat in the gloomy grove of her mother's isle. The sun was setting and the party on Olympus would kick up a notch as the alcohol flowed more freely. It had been an interesting day for her, this made a nice change as she usually moped about with nothing to do except tend to her mother's flowers.

'Can I ask you something?' Persephone turned to Hades who was slumped against the willow beside her. He had lit a cigar and seemed to be staring wistfully in the direction of Olympus. He'd done that a lot since arriving and finding out that today was the first day of the Harvest season, all the other gods were having fun at the party. Hades' eyes blinked as her words hit him, then he turned to her with a small smile.

'Sure…' He replied after a moment sucking on the end of his cigar before turning away and blowing a large smoke ring. Persephone fingered the side of her purple chiton nervously, the question she wanted to ask was kind of personal.

'Are you sorry?' She asked gently and Hades' eyes bulged in shock before he whipped his head around to her once more.

'S-sorry?' He eventually choked completely lost by her words. Persephone bit her lip tentatively.

'About not being able to go to the party on Olympus.' She said softly and Hades blinked.

'Oh…' He finally responded then shook his head. 'No… even if I hadn't pulled that stunt with the Titans they'd still shun me.' He spoke the last part bitterly and glared in the direction of Olympus.

'Yeh… I never understood that.' Persephone said softly her eyes shining with pity. Hades didn't respond for a moment but continued to puff away at his cigar thoughtfully.

'Doesn't matter now anyway… I've been officially ousted now.' Hades eventually said grimly while flicking the butt of his cigar away and slumping back against the tree exasperated. He folded his arms looking bitter once more. Persephone smiled sadly at him.

'It must be hard… being so alone.' She said softly leaning on his shoulder. Hades' eyes flickered onto her. For a moment he was unreadable and then he smiled slightly touched by her words.

'Well, company is the only thing I really miss.' He sighed as his arm slid around her middle, his touch made Persephone feel all tingly inside. For some time there was silence as the two deities remained this way until Persephone broke it.

'You can stay here a while if you want… mother won't be home for a few weeks as she get's pretty busy this time of year.' She offered but Hades shook his head instantly.

'As much as I'd love to, I can't babe I've gotta job to do.' He smiled sadly then pulled his arm back before getting up. 'Speakin' of which… I should probably go as I left two idiots on there own down there.' Persephone blinked surprised and slightly disappointed.

'Oh' was her tiny response before she too got to her feet. 'But I was really starting to have fun.' Persephone sighed rubbing her arms suddenly realising how cold the night air was, being beside Hades' warmth she hadn't noticed before.

'Yeh… me too.' Hades replied studying her as she shivered. 'Y'know, this might sound a little nuts but… hey, since you don't have a purpose an 'all you could, I dunno… come down with me?' Persephone blinked surprised. Definitely not what she'd been expecting.

'Well…' She drawled thoughtfully mulling it over. 'I'd love to but… I don't wanna be a distraction as I'm sure you're works very important.' Persephone smiled slightly still shivering, privately thinking there was definitely advantages to having flames.

'Trust me babe, right now… I could use the distraction.' Hades said lightly.

The sun had now gone and was replaced by a clear night with glowing stars. In the darkened grove below, tiny white lights where also dotted around the feet of bushes and trees filling the clearing with a soft light. Persephone didn't respond to Hades' words, instead she wandered over to a bush that was lit with some of the tiny white dots. She bent down and plucked one from the ground by the bush then turned around revealing a navy blue flower with five petals and a centre of glowing white light. It was a star-flower: a plant she had created herself to light the darkened grove so she didn't have to feel afraid. Hades watched her twirl the flower with a small smile playing about her lips before speaking again.

'So… whadda ya say? I mean it's not like anybody's gonna miss you cause hey, ya don't do nothin', right? You up for a change a scene or does mommy still hold all the cards?' Persephone tore her eyes away from the navy sparkling flower and pouted in an 'I'm so not impressed with you' manner.

'Excusie moi Mr Hades, I can do what I want… I am technically an adult even if my mother still thinks I'm not.' Her pout turned into a smirk. 'And I will come… just to annoy you.' Hades' lips twisted into a snake-like smirk as he narrowed his eyes.

'In that case milady, the Underworld awaits.' Hades said in a smarmy tone before pulling her roughly closer to him and they vanished in a curl of smoke.

* * *

Pain and Panic were bored out of their minds. They were sat on the docks of the Styx punching the others arm waiting for Charon to arrive with souls. So far they had had a grand total of twelve souls that day which was pretty dismal. The 'summer slump' was still in effect but they knew business would pick up soon, Demeter would put the world into a deep freeze when she went on her usual four month vacation. Then their boss' whinging that Demeter didn't do enough work to deserve a vacation would kick in as usual.

'So… ouch! -where do you think the boss went?' Pain asked as Panic punched his arm with a bored look on his face.

'Who- ouch! -cares as long as he doesn't come back in a bad mood.' Panic responded as he was hit back by a fed up Pain.

'This is stupid!' Pain said frustrated as Panic who'd lost interest in hitting Pain slumped back onto the black jetty with a sigh. 'What are we ment to do now?' At this point voices could be heard from further up the docks.

'Whoa… I never realised just how big this place was!' A girly female voice exclaimed followed by a throaty laugh and the low familiar tones of their boss.

'Hey it's gotta be… where else are we gonna house the souls for eternity huh?' Pain and Panic both spun around surprised and confused.

'There's a girl in the Underworld?!' Panic sounded flabbergasted. 'But, but… how?'

'Maybe… he… kidnapped her.' Pain said in a slow bemused voice shrugging at his partner's incredulous look. Panic suddenly smiled relieved then nodded.

'Yeh, yeh… that must be it… I mean who would _want_ to be here.' He smiled toothily at his pink partner who beamed widely at him.

'Exactly… maybe the boss is gonna use her in some scheme to get back at Zeus!' Pain said keenly with a sly smirk.

'Come on… let's go sneak a peek at the boss' new prisoner.' Panic said impishly and the two got up and shot off in the direction of the two voices.

* * *

Hades followed aimlessly behind Persephone, watching her reactions as she gazed around the black cavernous Underworld with interest and amazement. He had no idea why she liked it so much but for some reason it made him smile.

'Y'know… this place isn't so bad. After the tales I've heard from Hermes I half expected this place to be all fire and brimstone with nothing but screams for company.' She said smirking.

'You're thinkin' of Tartarus babe, that's downstairs.' Hades said amused and Persephone looked back and blinked momentarily amazed.

'Oh.' She blinked again then asked slightly nervous. 'But I don't have to go there right?' Hades grinned wickedly at her tense face.

'It's like a goddess once said to me; 'only if ya tick me off.'' Persephone smiled as he replayed her earlier words back to her. Making a noise of amusement she turned back around and continued to wander up the path then ascend the stairs to the throne room. Hades followed automatically, not wishing to leave her on her own. He only got a few paces before he could hear a familiar set of voices coming from behind a nearby spiny torch stand with a large blue flame.

'Ouch! Don't push me into the stand stupid!' Hades glared at the stand irritated.

'Shhh… the boss'll hear.' A second familiar voice that was slightly more panicky uttered. Hades marched up the stairs then wrenched the stand aside. Pain and Panic fell out from behind it with a yelp of surprise. Hades glared turning a nasty shade of red and the imps grinned guiltily back at him.

'What, do you think you're _doing_?!' He hissed irritated not wanting to draw Persephone's attention. Pain and Panic sat up still nervous.

'Nuh-nothing your offensiveness… we were… um… just-' Pain started nervously breaking off and Panic jumped in to try and save face.

'Cleaning! Y'know so the place is clean-' He spoke in a simpering anxious voice. Both imps then winced in agony as Hades slammed the stand back in place, squishing both imps before taking a cleansing breath, turning blue and stormed up the stairs muttering darkly.

'Cleaning… yeh right, a likely story.' He fumed until a female voice sounded directly in front of him forcing him to halt in his tracks.

'Something wrong?' He blinked confused for a moment then clocked Persephone's look of concern and smiled shaking his head.

'Wrong? Don't be silly… why would anything be wrong?' He said in a jaunty tone and brushed passed her and she raised an eyebrow suspiciously before responding.

'If you say so.' Persephone shrugged and followed him. Hades smirked at her before turning back leading her into the throne room, he slumped on his throne watching her look around the sharp and intricate details of the room.

'I never realised you were so artistically driven before.' Persephone said eventually as her green eyes swivelled around the room and spotted his chessboard. Hades blinked surprised by the compliment, it wasn't often he got one.

'Thanks.' He replied simply then shifted slightly keeping his eyes on her as she turned her attention to the chessboard studying the pieces and lifted a couple up examining them closely.

'What happened here?' She asked turning to him with the two figures she held in her hands which were both badly charred. Hades recognised one as a Titan and the other as a Gorgon.

'Let's just say… I got a _little_ dejected after the Titan thing and that took the brunt of it.' Hades said vaguely, complete with a swirling hand movement to emphasize his point. Persephone set the pieces back down on the board and turned back to him.

'Well that does make sense.' She smiled before perching on the chessboard and laid her palm flat. A cluster of small swirling white orbs manifested into a brush then she grasped the handle and began brushing her knee length blonde hair lovingly with her eyes closed.

Hades was fascinated by Persephone as she brushed her hair, watching the way her head bobbed ever so slightly and the corners of her mouth turned slightly up into a faint girly smile. He found the sight incredibly alluring. After a short while she opened her eyes and stopped brushing then the brush dissolved into tiny white orbs that disappeared.

'Well… this place sure ain't Olympus-' Hades started but Persephone cut him off snorting.

'Oh please! Olympus is sooo overrated… I don't even know why anybody would wanna live there.' She scoffed while rolling her eyes animatedly. Hades blinked surprised by her reaction as for a goddess this was a bizarre statement to make. He knew why he hated Olympus but what possible reason did she have?

'Uh… ok, what makes you say that?' He asked her and Persephone sighed exasperated.

'They're all so fake. They act all nicey-nice to the 'in crowd'-' She air quoted. '-then when I come along their all 'hey-you-be-quiet-'cause-the adults-are-talking!' Persephone folded her arms and pouted crossly. Hades opened his mouth to sympathise but she spoke again.

'It's my mother's fault really… she goes about making out I'm this mindless delicate flower that should be seen and not heard. Hermes is the only one who ever takes me seriously but just once… just once, it would be _nice_ to not be prejudged as some stupid little kid.' She sighed at this point and stopped ranting, clearly feeling better after getting that off her chest. Hades smirked amused by her outburst.

'Well, well… how longs that been stashed away?' He said laughing softly and Persephone blushed again.

'I'm sorry-' she said turning her head shyly away.

'Don't be.' Hades smirked again finding her coy side endearing. 'I hear ya and I'll second it. I know exactly how you feel.' He sighed at this point and heaved himself off his throne. 'C'mon Seph… I'll see if I gotta room spare for ya.' Persephone got up and stretched, suddenly noticing how sleepy she was and followed him down the hallway.

* * *

Little Notes:

I'm sooo glad I keep a full version of Plight of Persephone on a separate file (it's almost 100 pages long… seriously, it reads like a book!!), otherwise I'd have to type out all the chaps again...

I'm trying to correct the many spelling and grammar errors that occur in my story, please tell me if you see something I missed, it would be much appreciated…

Lots of Love Ditzy xXx


	5. Meet the Minions

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Five:Meet the Minions**_

Persephone awoke the next morning and without even opening her eyes she turned and sighed peaceably. Not only was the queen-size bed larger than the single bed she was used to at her mother's house, but the room was still perfectly dark meaning that if she chose to she could have gone right back to sleep. Her mother wasn't even here to wake her up and Apollo wasn't here to annoy her with his blindingly bright sun-chariot. If Hermes was here everything would be absolutely perfect.

She listened carefully. Silence; except for the soft sound of running water coming from the river Styx outside. No birds, no creatures of any kind. This place was dead; literally. Persephone finally opened her eyes and sat up looking around the room. The room had a large rounded window on the wall furthest from her bed and was letting in a pale blue light which dimly light the room. Persephone pulled her chiton from the small table next to her bed where she had left them the night before, she'd always preferred to sleep nude. Pulling her clothes on and attaching her black girdle with the golden clip at the front, she slipped into her black pumps and wandered over to the window. The goddess perched on the very wide ledge and looked out at the view.

Persephone gazed smiling out at the incredibly wide river that was glowing phosphorus blue. She followed it's snaking path with her eyes until it twisted out of sight then gazed at the pale blue dots in the water. She knew these must be souls but she couldn't figure out if the water was naturally blue, or if having thousands upon thousands of souls in it was causing the effect. She scanned the rocky walls with interest but it was far too dark to see where they finished. A fluttering of wings made her jump slightly. There was definitely something up there or maybe there was more than one of them as a strange chattering noise started up. Unsure what to think she tore her eyes away from the darkness of the ceiling and refocused on the ground below her.

There was no plants of any kind to be seen. Did this mean they couldn't grow or was it merely because Hades had no control over that kind of thing? Persephone had some experience of growing plants but her mother's ideas for plants were just sickly sweet. All bright happy flowers, lush rich vegetables and fruits… except this one plant which was a nasty yellow colour and all gooey inside. Her mother had had a serious hangover when she created that one, then she deemed that a plant as ugly as it must be good for you. Persephone smiled at the memory. She and her mother used to have fun, at least they did until everything changed. Shaking the last thought away Persephone decided it was time to go and search for Hades, without another pause she left.

* * *

Meanwhile Hades was returning to the throne room from dealing with some of the more stubborn arrivals, they didn't seem to understand that the Styx was to be their first stop in the Underworld. Sighing exasperated Hades slumped onto the throne irritably.

'When will this nightmare end?' He asked the empty room before the two imps shot over to him with a stack of paperwork and he slapped his head. 'I had to ask… I could have kept shtum but _nooo_… I had to jinx myself.' Hades griped moodily.

'Sir we need you to sign this-' Panic said handing Hades a clipboard and the Lord of the Underworld signed it with a expressionless face, without even glancing at the sheet.

'-and if you could just initial here… and here… and in subsection beta one dash three, then sign here.' Pain added flipping the pages as Hades scribbled what the imps wanted.

'There's just a few more bits for you to check over sir.' Panic said passing over a large sheaf of paper. Hades took them and glared at it offended before turning back to the imp.

'Eh hello! Do I look like I've got _time_ to read all this?!' He paused then sighed irritably as the imp looked blankly back. 'Y'know what… forget it. It's like talkin' to a monkey.' Hades turned to the paperwork and skim read a few pages before eventually signing the back.

'That better be everything!' Hades said firmly turning a dangerous shade of orange.

'Yes your most malevolent one… your afternoon is completely free.' Pain said smiling widely and Hades sighed relieved turning blue.

'About time!' He said then lounged back lazily in his throne smiling. 'And now just to wait-' Hades broke off as the alarm system suddenly started up, six new souls floated through the throne room and down through the doorway to the Vortex. The alarm stopped and the numbers on the counter flicked forward.

'Well boys, looks like you've got some new arrivals to deal with.' Hades said idly slouching further down into his throne. The imps glanced at each other then back at Hades.

'Y'know… you haven't been down there since you uh… came out of it nearly three months ago.' Panic said slowly and Pain nodded.

'Yeh… we were thinking that since you had the afternoon free you might wanna go and greet the new guys yourself… add the personal touch.' Both imps grinned uneasily at Hades who studied them in shock for a moment, it switched to an angry glare very quickly.

'_Me_?!' He finally snarled turning red. 'Don't you remember _why _I told you I wanted the afternoon off?!' He said slowly as the flames snaked his shoulders. Both imps nervously shook their heads and Hades became more enraged by this and spoke slowly through gritted teeth.

'I wanted it off so I could be with-' He broke off as he spotted the blonde hair and white skin of Persephone standing in the doorway. Instantly his skin and flames turned blue and his lips twisted into a leering smirk. 'Seph!!' He cried out delighted and swiftly left his throne, heading over to the tiny goddess Hades slipped an arm around her waist drawing her to him. The imps gazed at the stunning goddess speechless with amazement.

It was hard to say what amazed them more; the fact that she was prettier than Aphrodite, that she was here in the Underworld and didn't look like she was a prisoner, or the fact that she was smiling comfortable with Hades who was fawning over her.

'Babe, ya look great… ya sleep ok?' Hades asked her and Persephone nodded. 'Oh good, y'know 'cause I did wonder since this is the Underworld an' all-'

'Everything is fine,' Persephone said finally in an amused girly voice. '-now will you knock it of you sound like my mother.' She rolled her eyes smirking at Hades who was merely smiling widely at her.

Pain and Panic were staring at the deities in disbelief. They were happily talking with no snide comments or cruel jokes while the two imps had been completely forgotten.

'Hey, I'm only tryin' to be nice-' Hades said innocently while rolling his eyes upwards but Persephone snorted with amusement.

'-you?? Nice?' She snickered. 'Fates forbid.' Persephone swished her hand dismissively.

'Well… eh, ok I'll give you that-' Hades batted the idea around before shrugging and smiling at her. '-but y'know what? For you, I'll give it a shot.' Persephone smirked before pulling herself out of Hades' grip before speaking.

'Heh, yeh right… what's the catch?' For the first time he blinked confused.

'Huh?' Hades responded dimly and Persephone's full ruby lips curved into a sly smile.

'C'mon Hades I wasn't born yesterday… what seemingly reasonable thing do you want back?' He blinked again before realising she thought he was doing one of his sleazy deals.

'What? Whoa, whoa, whoa… I don't want nothin' off ya.' This time Persephone blinked surprised and the imps also gaped amazed.

'You don't?' All three asked at the same time but Hades had eyes only for Persephone.

'Seph, Seph, Seph, my sweet alluring little siren… you're not a prisoner, you're a guest, so I want you to feel at home while you're here. Oh, speakin' of which babe, anything ya want just ask and… boom, these two will get it for ya, ok.' Hades said finally drawing Persephone's attention to the two imps who blushed nervously at the goddess who was now looking at them.

'Hi…' They both drawled shyly and Panic giggled. Hades blinked at the imps who were clearly as struck by her beauty as he was.

* * *

Persephone blinked at the two creatures for a moment as she'd never seen anything like them. They had horns, sharp teeth, small claw-like hands and long tails with arrow ends. One was chubby and pink with a mop of dark pink hair and a sneaky grin the other was taller, stick-thin with bug eyes, a large pointed nose and wore an almost apprehensive toothy grin.

'So… do they have names?' Persephone finally asked but before Hades could responded the minions dived in first.

'Of course we have names.' They both said together.

'Pain-' The pink one started.

'-and Panic.' The green one chipped in.

'-at your service oh beautiful one.' They finished in a sickening-pleasant tone striking a back-to-back pose with their arms stretched out grinning wildly.

'Alright… stick a sock in it you two.' Hades finally said with resentment, clearly not impressed and his minions wiped the smiles off their faces then stood back in line. Persephone raised a brow impressed by their response.

'So… what kind of creatures are they?' She said turning back to Hades who was still glaring at the two minions with annoyance.

'They're imps-' He started but Panic cut him off.

'For your information we prefer to be called sprites!' He folded his arms and Pain nodded scowling at Hades.

'Yeh… makes us sound less stupid.' He said firmly and Persephone blinked as Hades glared at them frustrated.

'You can call yourselves friggin' fairies for all I care but it doesn't change the fact that you _really are stupid_!!' He hissed slowly turning orange. Persephone was amazed by his restraint, Hades was clearly in two minds about smiting the imps in front of her. Pain and Panic were now clutching each other nervously waiting for it. 'Go and check in the new arrivals before I _really_ loose my temper.' The Lord of the Underworld finally hissed in a dangerous tone through tightly gritted teeth. Both imps took one last nervous look before shooting out of the throne room without a second thought.

Persephone watched them go amused before turning to Hades, after a few cleansing breaths he turned back to blue.

'So… do you uh… always get this _fired up_ or is that just for me?' She asked him smiling mischievously with one eyebrow raised.

'Yeh, I'm sorry about that babe… oy, minions… can't live with 'em an' ya can't live without 'em it's like your freakin' married or something.' Hades said sighing and Persephone smirked. 'But hey, enough about them… how 'bout a tour?'

'Sure.' Persephone responded instantly her brilliant eyes lit up.

* * *

Little Notes:

Another long chapter. Don't get to used to it peeps it won't be every time but I'm a sucker for details. I can't help it…

This story is a very slow burner but bear with it as the story picks up around chaps 11 or 12.

Again I changed the chap title here, a sort of parody of the film: _Meet the Parents_.

Lots of Love Ditzy xXx


	6. Past, Present and just Plain Annoying

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Six:**____**Past, Present and just Plain Annoying**_

Hades wore a smile that wouldn't look out of place on a serpent of some sort while returning his arm to her waist as he led her down the steep sloping stairs out the rear of the palace to a large pool of water with a narrow waterfall. Around the edge was a collection of sun-loungers, beach umbrellas and other poolside equipment making this place look like a rather bizarre poolside hangout. Persephone looked around the sandy coloured stone with interest then up at the hard black stone cliffs surrounding them that led into the impenetrable blackness above.

'Y'know it's a shame nothing grows down here, a little plant life would really liven this place up.' She said making Hades snort with amusement at her words.

'Excuse me if I fail to agree babe but I'm not really that into-' Hades bumped into a stupefied soul and whipped his head around in annoyance. '-Do you mind?!' His voice was chipped as he glared at the soul who turned back to him looking amazed.

'Mind what?' The soul responded dumbly still looking vague making Persephone wonder what was wrong with him. Hades' flames switched momentarily red with anger but he controlled them quickly then forced a calm front.

'Never mind just get outta my way.' Hades said stiffly while glaring at the soul who blinked then spoke again in the same confused voice.

'Am I in your way?' Persephone blinked amazed thinking that either the soul was completely clueless or just plain stupid as he seemed to have 'smite me quick' tattooed across his head. She chanced a glance at Hades who was still glaring at his subject.

'Yes! Your in my way… now why don't ya just step aside 'kay?' The soul didn't move but studied Hades closely for a few moments as though trying to work out who he was.

'Who are you?' He finally asked confused making Hades flare a nasty red shade but the soul had turned around still pondering aloud to himself. 'And who am I? Why am I here?' Hades turned blue once more then turned to Persephone and twirled his finger around his ear.

'Crazy… the lot of 'em.' His voice was low so the soul in front couldn't hear but Persephone merely blinked still staring at the soul. Hades whipped back around to the soul who was still musing.

'What manner of place is this? And why am I see-through?' He asked more to himself than Hades who pulled a long net out of nowhere and thrust it into the soul's hands. He then seized the soul around the shoulders and steered him to the edge of the water with some others.

'Y'know what? Those are all great questions and while ya try to remember the answers why don'tcha make yourself useful and fish anything out that falls in this pool huh?' The soul blinked then nodded vaguely at Hades' words.

'I suppose-' He responded and Hades let go of the soul instantly and turned to walk back to Persephone when the soul spoke again.

'You do know your head is on fire right?' Hades stopped and turned back.

'Well, duhh!!' He responded before turning back and rolling his eyes irritably. Persephone wore a look of grave anxiety when Hades finally returned to her side and his eyes scanned the few souls that were now asking each other random questions.

'Why are they like that?' Persephone's voice was hushed and her eyes suddenly swivelled to Hades with fear and anguish mixed into the vivid green.

'It's the waters of Lethe, one dip in the pool and you'll forget your deepest memories so steer clear of it.' He smiled back at her and realisation hit Persephone.

'Lethe? Oh… so are the effects permanent?' She asked looking around at the souls who were still looking lost.

'Depends… sometimes things can trigger their memories, others find the pool of memory but some never regain their minds and just wander around vaguely for eternity.' Hades spoke in a manner that suggested he didn't really care one way or another about what happened to the souls. Catching the look of sorrow on Persephone's face he smiled at her.

'Let's go see somethin' else Seph.' Hades said softly then gripped her shoulders and led her around the corner and up some gentle stairs to a make-shift view point around where the river Styx forked and some brightly light caverns on the opposite side.

Persephone blinked in surprise at the brightly lit caverns that had plants and trees of all kinds inside. She turned confused to Hades who was glaring at them with undisguised frustration.

'I thought nothing could survive down here?' Persephone asked and Hades blinked before turning to her and forcing a smile although a hint of insult was in his yellow eyes.

'That's the Elysian Fields but it doesn't belong to me.' He answered without much emotion as his eyes turned back to the realm and the hatred was suddenly obvious.

'It doesn't??' Persephone asked wide-eyed. 'Who's is it?'

'Zeus', he did it to torture me before handing this place to over.' He voice was harsh and he formed a small fireball then flung it in the direction of the cavern. 'It's the happiest place under earth and just a brimstones throw away-' The fireball bounced off of a golden barrier and sizzled out in the Styx water '-and I can't touch it.' He turned away looking sour and folded his arms. Persephone glanced back and frowned.

'But that's not fair… why give you a kingdom and still hold one part of it for himself? That's, that's just… _rude_!' She balled her fists feeling the same irritation she felt eighteen years ago at Hercules' party.

'Don't waste your feelings on it.' Hades sighed but smiled slightly touched by her sympathy. Something else that he was not used to receiving from other deities.

'But he can't do that-' Persephone started.

'Hey, Zeus is running the show Seph… he can do what he wants besides I tried to get it off him a couple of years ago and failed so forget it… he's even less likely to hand it to me now anyway.' Persephone gazed at him for a moment then sighed.

'You're right… c'mon let's go someplace less annoying.' She smiled grabbing Hades' hand and dragging him back down the steps.

……………………………….............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

They slowly wandered around the Underworld as Hades showed her the pool of Memory and the Vortex of Fire. He stayed firmly away from the edge of the latter and kept a vice-like grip on Persephone determined not to let her get too close to the edge.

Persephone could tell when they entered the Vortex of Fire that Hades hated the room. He fell silent and his skin visibly paled at the sight of the whirling green pool of fiery water. The moment they drew closer to the edge his eyes widened and his grip suddenly tightened around her halting her from getting to close to the edge, not that she wanted to as the pool of water looked pretty fierce. They left it quickly and Hades showed her the Fall of Tears.

'Wait?' Persephone said suddenly when Hades told her what the waters did and suddenly the truth of what happened to Hercules sunk in. 'Did you turn Hercules mortal?' Hades sighed heavily still faced away from her.

'Yes…' He finally answered his eyes narrowing slightly at the memory of the Fates prediction. Persephone's eyes widened behind him and she suddenly felt a rush of pity fill her.

'Oh.' She finally answered as a mixture of pity and disappointment sounded.

'I suppose you'll hate me for it-' He started tonelessly but Persephone cut him off.

'I'm sure you had your reasons.' She spoke softly still eyeing him with sadness.

'It's not something I'm proud of… if I knew what I knew now I probably wouldn't have-'

'The past is the past Hades-' Persephone said stepping up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. '-it's not what you did that counts, it's what you do now that matters.' It took a while for her words to sink in but after a moment he turned to her stunned.

'So your not bothered?' He asked her and Persephone shook her head taking her hand back.

'Like I said you had your reasons, I'm not saying I agree with them or that they were the smartest move but you say your not proud of it so I accept it, the end.' She smiled but Hades looked suspiciously at her as though unsure whether to believe her or not. After a moment he sighed then dropped his guard.

'Zeus doesn't know-' He started but Persephone cut him off.

'-and he won't find out from me.' She looked firmly at him as though daring him to challenge her words. Hades didn't but smiled slightly feeling a little better having somebody he could at least part-way trust.

'Thanks Seph… well that's everything. Small Underworld huh?' He said ending on a rather tasteless joke which cause an amused smirk to cross Persephone's face. Hades guided her out of the room and locked the door.

'Not that small.' Persephone responded lightly. 'So… who've I gotta a smite to get a drink around here?' She added still smiling as they walked back down to the throne room.

……………………………….............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Hermes arrived on Sicily for his usual afternoon chat with Persephone to exchange hot gossip with her. Whether they chatted in Greek or Nymph it didn't matter as they could spend a whole day chatting if Hermes wasn't busy. He would share with Persephone the gossip from Olympus which usually involved who loved who, Zeus' new decrees then debating if they had any importance in today's world and who was smiting who on the big cloud. Persephone would bring news to Hermes from which she had gathered from her wanderings around the surface. This usually included the latest nymphs and mortals to be conquests of Gods, the latest in nymph fashion and if there were any wild Bacchus parties that were worth attending. Sometimes Persephone would reveal a nugget of juicy information that had escaped Hermes' notice; like Daphne the dryad who had eluded Apollo by changing into a laurel tree. The two had had a good chuckle at the Sun God's expense then Hermes had flown to Olympus and told the rest of the divine council the gossip much to Apollo's displeasure as he'd been the laughing stock of the cloud for the next few weeks.

When Hermes finally lowered himself towards their favourite grove and sighed seeing a familiar purple skinned figure standing in it waiting for something.

'I knew I should have pushed Demeter for that restraining order-' Hermes sighed shaking his head wearily at the sight of the Sun God who had been pestering Persephone for a date ever since finding out that her mortal boyfriend had dumped her two years ago and unfortunately, the guy just couldn't take no for an answer.

'Hermes.' Apollo looked up cheerfully evidently pleased to see the Messenger God who assumed Persephone was hiding away from the god in question, not that he blamed her.

'Uh-oh, here's trouble-' Hermes put on his usual jaunty front and grinned at the Sun God. '-what brings you to Sicily man?' Apollo laughed heartily.

'What else would? Only the most beautiful being in the cosmos could bring me here.' Hermes pretended to blush.

'What? Me? Awww… am flattered babe, really but uh… no offence, your not my type.' He responded barely able to keep the smirk off his face but Apollo didn't find his remark funny.

'Not you! Persephone.' He tutted impatiently glaring slightly then he sagged and sighed. 'I thought if I changed my original date idea she might wanna give me a second chance.'

'Second chance?' Hermes snorted amused. 'Buddy you didn't even get a first!'

'She's just shy.' Apollo said confidently but Hermes shook his head.

'Let it go man, the honey said no.' Apollo looked affronted now and balled his fists.

'Nobody says no to Apollo!' He said firmly and Hermes suddenly looked sly.

'What about Daphne?' He asked smirking and Apollo whipped round to him.

'Trees don't count!' He hissed irritably and Hermes backed away from the glaring Sun God.

'Y'know… I think they have a word for this.' Hermes said in mock-thought. 'Lemmie see…I believe they call it denial.'

'I'm not in the Nile! I'm in Persephone's Grove!!' Hermes rolled his eyes. What a waste… all those good looks and not a brain to match.

'Uh-huh… ok buddy but don't you think you should give this thing with Seph up? I mean it's clear the girl just ain't interested man.' Apollo glared offended at Hermes before his eyes lit up in a way the messenger god didn't like.

'Wait… you and Persephone are friends right?' The large purple god asked confidently.

'Your point being?' Hermes asked suspecting what would come next and wishing it weren't so. The Sun God grinned widely at the blue god floating before him.

'You could put in a good word for me then, couldn't you?' Hermes thought privately that Apollo's rep as a love-'em-and-leave-'em god spoke clearly enough for itself.

'Uh, look man… there's no easy way to say this but, Seph… well, she's just not that into you.' Apollo scowled at Hermes.

'So you won't help me?' He asked the blue god who shook his head firmly. 'Fine.' Without another word Apollo vanished on the spot fuming and Hermes sighed with relief that he was gone.

'Things would be sooo much easier if gods actually listened to me.' He glanced around the eerily quiet grove for a moment as usually Persephone came out on her own once Apollo had gone but this time she didn't.

'Seph honey the idiot has _officially_ gone.' He tried and waited but still no response. 'Well that's odd… usually she's here.' He muttered to himself scratching his head and furrowing his brow. 'Huh, maybe she's helping out with Demeter's Harvests?' He mused to himself then snickered at the thought of Apollo trying to coax Persephone out when she wasn't even there and made a mental note to tell Persephone about it the next time he saw her. If she was out with Demeter she wouldn't be home anytime soon but she'd giggle at the story. Without further ado he took off and headed back to Olympus still smiling.

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Little Notes:

Hey everybody!!! I chipped my Perfectly Purple nail polish just to write this part but it was so worth it. The muses must love me right now as this story is just slotting together with ease!!

This chapter introduces Hermes who of course sheds a little light on the complex life of Persephone. Having Apollo enter was important to me and having him constantly rebuffed by Persephone will come back later. I will admit that he is loosely based on another Disney character that couldn't handle rejection well (you know who I'm on about) just goes to show guys and their pride are fragile things.

This chapter signifies the start of the outside world coming into play as the story would be kind of boring if it was all Hades and Persephone huh?

Thanks again everybody… DitzyMinx xXx

Oh and before I forget… Thank you for the review Spirit… that's my favourite line too! I had a good old chuckle while writing it, glad you like the story. xXx


	7. Trouble, thy name is Cerberus

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Seven:Trouble, thy name is Cerberus**_

Persephone was sat on Hades' throne as the god himself was finally sorting out the burnt chessboard, the young goddess was sipping iced nectar while watching him with interest.

'Finished.' He finally sighed looking pleased with himself and Persephone leaned on the arm of his throne towards him.

'So what's so special about that thing anyway?' She asked and Hades whipped around towards her and smirked at her ignorance.

'I created this to represent the map of Greece… when I was trying to rearrange the cosmos this was how I'd strategize my moves.' Persephone raised a brow amused.

'So… does it have everything on it?' She asked him seriously.

'Does a pita have a pocket? Of course it does… c'mere an' I'll show you.' Hades gestured her to come over and Persephone blinked. Putting her now empty glass on the arm of the throne, she rose wandering slowly over to Hades and looked at the newly repaired chessboard. Her eyes ran over the huge board with amazement at the multi-coloured scene. All the seas and rivers were a bright shimmering blue while the land masses were green and brown. On the far east side of the board was the cloudy region of Olympus complete with all the deities; including Hermes and her mother. Turning to the opposite side Persephone saw the darkened regions of the Underworld complete with what must have been all the Underworld deities. This included Hades, Pain and Panic surrounded by a variety of monstrous creatures with fangs and claws. She blinked then looked around the map again double checking everything before turning to Hades who was standing with a 'told you so' expression on his face.

'See… it has everything.' He smirked folding his arms and Persephone smiled a devious smile.

'Your right, it does have everything… except me.' The air went out of Hades and his eyes bulged with shock. He scanned the board desperately trying to prove her wrong.

'No, no, no your-' He blinked when he couldn't find her. '-not here, but I can fix that.' He suddenly grinned and twirling his wrist as a small puff of smoke created a figurine and Hades swiped it out of the air and smiled at it before passing it to Persephone.

The goddess took the figure and found it to be an exact duplicate of herself standing with her hands on her hips which were swayed to the left. Her face was smiling a girly smile that hinted a touch of her mischievous side. She turned to hand it back.

'So… where are you gonna put me?' Persephone smiled as Hades took the figure back and turned to the board.

'Well… we'll just stick ya with me for now ok? Since that's where ya are.' Hades smirked placing her figurine right beside his own in the Underworld. Persephone lent an elbow on Hades' shoulder and tilted her head while studying the board, there was something strangely right about her single bright figurine in a sea of black ones. The two turned and exchanged a smile, until a growling noise came from the room next door and the moment was gone.

'Oy… Cerberus.' Hades sighed making Persephone blink confused.

'Who?' She asked as Hades pulled away from her and walked around the table towards the next room.

'Nuh-nuh-nuh no.' Hades said when Persephone moved to follow him, she instantly stopped in her tracks still not understanding what the fuss was about. 'Just stay here… I'll be right back once I've dealt with him.' He added gesturing briefly to the growling sound before sliding off next door. Persephone sighed heavily and sat on the chessboard.

'Whatever you say.' She folded her arms and waited, listening to Hades dealing with the _thing_ next door.

'Hey!' The Lord of the Underworld's voice sounded crossly. 'What have I told you about chewing my stuff! Now drop it!' Ok, that wasn't the kind of voice that was used to drive beasts away. Persephone got off the chessboard now listening to the growling.

'I said drop it!' Hades' voice sounded again. 'Give me that! Rrrrr… let go of it you stupid moron!!' Persephone blinked confused, it sounded like he was talking to a disobedient pet. Curious now, she tilted her head wondering what exactly 'Cerberus' was ment to be.

* * *

Hades scowled straight into the middle set of red eyes who's jaws were tightly clamped around a black object, the god had instantly recognised it as the chair he usually occupied when watching Tartarus Vision. The Lord of the Underworld had seized the feet of the chair as a crunching noise told him the three-headed idiot was gnawing it.

'C'mon… now.' Hades strained trying to pull the chair, unfortunately Cerberus seemed to think this was some sort of tug-o-war game and the Lord of the Underworld felt himself being dragged forwards as the large dog pulled. Rearranging his footing to stop himself being dragged further, Hades tugged sharply at the chair and the three-headed canine let go so the dark god staggered backwards as the chair dropped to the ground. The god staggered backwards before regaining his balance. There were several large bite marks in the back of the chair which Hades repaired before turning to the large animal behind him. Cerberus let out a pitiful whine complete with a big-eyed look of innocence.

'Don't gimmie that look!!' Hades snarled. 'I _invented_ that look!!' Suddenly Cerberus' right head perked up and started sniffing the air. Momentarily forgetting his anger at the three-headed beast, Hades looked confused as the head made a small yipping noise and the other two heads perked up and began sniffing. Suddenly all three heads shot to the floor and began to track the scent they had caught a whiff of.

'Hey!' Hades said firmly as the dog passed him and knocking him off balance again. Gaining his footing the god whirled around crossly.

'Cerberus… stop! Heel boy, _heel_!!' Hades bellowed trying to command the dog but Cerberus ignored his master and entered the next room. 'Get a puppy they said… you need the company they said… _well_ _that's the last time I take advice off imps_!' The god seethed folding his arms crossly, he jumped in shock moments later as a scream made Hades remember that Persephone had been in that room. With a stab of fear Hades shot to the doorway, but was surprised by what he found.

The large dog was sat in front of the young goddess yipping excitedly and licking her. Instead of acting scared Persephone was trying to push his three heads away while giggling.

'Hey… knock it off, whatcha trying to do? Lick me to death?' She then squealed out in shock as one of the heads nudged her a little to hard, pushing her backwards making her sway dangerously off balance. Hades shot forward at this point and caught her before she could fall. Cerberus barked loudly pleased to see his master, despite the scowl across Hades' face.

'Wow, he sure is strong huh?' Persephone giggled, still lent back in his arms where he'd caught her.

'Seph, this is Cerberus… three heads and not a brain between 'em.' Hades said and standing her up before stepping in front of her and turning angrily to the dog.

'Oooh… what's 'e sayin' about you?' Persephone said in an excitable baby-voice to the three-headed dog who yapped back wagging his tail faster. Hades felt a twinge of jealousy coarse through him, Persephone was eyeing Cerberus with a fond look. She definitely did not look at him in that way.

'Please…' Hades drawled rolling his eyes while trying to brush his feelings away. 'I'll prove he's a dimwit… Cerberus! Sit!' He commanded expecting the dog to ignore him as usual, however to his amazement Cerberus sat down instantly still wagging his tail and panting happily.

'Who's a good boy!' Persephone squealed in her baby-voice pleased and Hades gawped before scowling at the dog as his hair glowed orange.

'Fine… we'll try something else. Down!' Hades tried again but once more Cerberus obeyed without question and lay down as Persephone turned to Hades unimpressed.

'He doesn't look dumb to me.' She said folding her arms pouting at the god.

'He's showing off.' Hades said irritably, hardly able to stand the fact that Cerberus was making him look an idiot.

'Uh-huh, yeh, that must be it.' Persephone shook her head with disbelief. Hades ignored her and walked up to the three-headed dog and leaned into him.

'I'm on to you puppy and your in big trouble!' He hissed at Cerberus who cocked his head and made a noise of confusion. Sighing with irritation Hades turned away seeing Persephone scowling slightly at him.

'Are you done trying to make the dog look stupid or do you have more?' She asked in a bored tone. Hades rolled his eyes before smiling at Persephone.

'Seph… babe, I assure you he's not usually this well behaved-' Hades started trying to smooth talk Persephone but she turned away from him.

'Uhh… typical god, always trying to big themselves up.' Persephone's voice was disapproving and she sashayed out of the room. Hades' head tilted to the side watching her leave.

'Oh riiight… and that is such a _goddess_ thing to say!' Hades folded his arms pulling a sulky pout as Cerberus made a mumping noise, obviously pining for the pretty girl who had just left the room.

'And you shut up!!' Hades rounded on the dog who blinked and fell silent. 'Showing off for a pretty face… you should be ashamed of yourself!'

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey everybody, I promised the puppy would be back!!

Cerberus meets Persephone and of course Hades is yet again jealous of something else getting in the way of his and Persephone's time together. Hades' protectiveness of Persephone is sweet in a way as it reveals a lighter side of his character without distracting too much from his villainous qualities, which I find people tend to loose sight of along the way. Not necessarily a bad thing, but at the end of the day he is a Disney villain and that's the way I'd like him to stay. It's finding the happy medium between villainous rouge and loved up god which is my biggest challenge. I personally think I'm not doing too badly but I'll let you be the judges 'kay?

Naturally, we have Hades and Persephone's first tiff in this chapter over Cerberus' intelligence. And how else could they conclude a tiff but by both responding in a strictly juvenile fashion, (Persephone by storming off and Hades by sulking heavily) which just goes to show these two really are a couple of big kids aren't they?

Thanks for your support…

Lots of Love… Ditzy xXx


	8. A Deity's work is Never Done

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Eight:A Deity's work is never done**_

Three weeks passed slowly for Hermes as he waited for his best friend to return from what he affectionately called 'crop duty'. Since Persephone didn't have a career of her own she sometimes pitched in with her mother whenever Demeter needed assistance in the Harvests. The young goddess wasn't particularly fond of this job, she usually returned to Sicily after a few days complaining about how she and her mother got into a massive argument… again, not uncommon. Persephone and Demeter were two completely different personalities and it often amazed Hermes that the two women could live together without seriously maiming each other. Although it didn't take much digging to discover the reason… Demeter just couldn't accept her daughter was now an adult and should be off on her own; not cooped up on some island were she could not branch beyond flower growing.

Hermes wasn't sure exactly what it was that Persephone could govern but whatever it was, it didn't involve being stuck on Sicily. The blue god had once asked Zeus if it was really wise to let Demeter control Persephone in this way, but the Lord of Olympus washed his hands of the situation. Zeus had said that until Persephone had a purpose she was still under Demeter's guidance… Hermes suspected the real reason Zeus had said this was he was afraid to confront Demeter on the subject. The goddess truly could be a force to be reckoned with when she was mad as she had the weight of the world behind her.

Hermes was laid back on a cloud above Sicily bored and bursting with the latest news for Persephone when she finally came home. Suddenly the sight of a familiar of a green aura told Hermes that Demeter was finally home meaning Persephone might have actually survived a whole three weeks without managing to fall out with her mother.

'Well I'll be dammed.' Hermes said to himself smiling before shooting towards Demeter grinning widely at the Nature Goddess. 'Aren't you a sight for sore eyes huh?' The Nature Goddess blinked in shock at Hermes' words.

'Oh… Hermes how are you? Here to see Cora are you?' Demeter trilled pleased despite her worn-out features.

'I'm just fabulous darling but more importantly, how are you honey? You look tired..' The Messenger God flashed a look of concern. Demeter sighed exhausted.

'It's a blooming nightmare this year… that attack Hades devised has ment I've been running around ragged for the last three weeks… but then I can hardly blame Hades for what he did… Zeus was always very ignorant of his little brother.' Hermes blinked surprised.

'Hey! Whoa… hold on honey. Are you defending Hades?' The blue god gaped at her and Demeter shook her head firmly.

'No, no, no it was a very reckless and thoughtless thing to do… I mean what on earth made him want to release the Titans for Gaia's sake… he must have realised they would only turn on him and release Cronos once they had established control-' She broke off for a moment collecting her thoughts then sighed again. 'You must at least agree that eternity is far too long to hold grudges?' Demeter finally asked and Hermes nodded firmly.

'Oh yeh… I mean there's others who agree but the majority have completely shunned the idea, and the big guy is still steamed about the whole affair. He's disowned Hades completely… according to him he only has one brother now-'

'-Oh phooey.' Demeter cut him off waving her small green hand. 'Zeus and Hades are as stubborn as satyrs… they've more in common than they care to admit.' She rolled her cornflower blue eyes then smiled at Hermes. 'So… where is my little flower?'

'Seph? I thought she went with you!!' The words wrenched from his mouth and Demeter chuckled warmly.

'Oh don't be ridiculous… that's why I've come home, it's been so busy I need her help-' She suddenly broke off at Hermes' worried look. 'Goodness Hermes are you alright? You look like you've seen a Titan.' For a moment Hermes said nothing but his skin visibly paled.

'Demeter… I hate to be the one to tell you this but-' He broke off and the Nature Goddess blinked both worried and confused.

'What? What is it?' She asked in a hushed tone feeling a well of dread build up in her throat.

'Persephone's gone.' He whispered and Demeter gasped horrified, then sat down on the ground as the sense of loss swirled her.

'Hermes… tell me everything you know.' She finally said firmly.

* * *

Meanwhile several thousand feet below Gaia's surface Hades was humming an upbeat tune as he was preparing Persephone a breakfast in the kitchen. He wondered why in the three weeks she'd been living in the Underworld he hadn't thought of doing it before today. Picking up the tray Hades walked back up the hallway. He had to admit to himself that having Persephone living in the Underworld was the smartest move he'd made even considering that the whole idea had been completely impulsive. Spontaneity was not something that Hades usually was, he preferred to mull things over and take careful consideration while factoring in every possible outcome. Persephone seemed to bring out a reckless side to him that he hadn't considered before. Hades sent the imps out on Tartarus Inspection just before heading to the kitchen, at least this way he and Persephone could be alone.

Business had picked up now that autumn was in full swing, this ment Hades did not have as much time as he would have liked to spend with Persephone. She was on her own for long periods of time while Hades and the imps did their jobs. Having her in the Underworld made his job easier to handle, it gave him incentive to finish quickly and return to Persephone's side. He was only just getting used to walking into the throne room and smelling the scent of flowers, then realising that Persephone must be somewhere nearby.

For once he was happy with his life. This thought nearly made Hades drop the tray he was carrying. He was happy, actually happy with the way things were? He shrugged to himself. Not exactly where he'd pictured himself at this time in his life but then hey, he'd never really thought much of being tied down with a girlfriend either. Before the idea was laughable, however since he'd been spending these last few weeks with Persephone the idea seemed to plague him, almost as much as the growing desire to kiss her did. He wasn't too worried about what his subjects thought. The imps approved of her and Cerberus loved her almost as much as he did, the others just assumed they were a couple already and were treating Persephone as if she already ruled the Underworld.

The thought of asking Persephone on a date was nerve-racking. She was perfect in every way while he was well… him. Hades had never taken rejection well before and oh boy, had he been rejected by every woman in the cosmos who'd ever taken his fancy. Except one; his old flame Leuce, that hadn't lasted long at all as she'd died not long after they'd got together. He hadn't been so emotionally attached to let her death affect him but he had placed a tree by the pool of Memory as a mark of respect for her. The truth was, Hades was terrified to let Persephone know how he really felt for her in case she rejected him too, and the thought of her doing that was crippling never mind if she actually did it for real.

Hades' nerves mounted as he approached the bedroom door. Reminding himself that Persephone wouldn't be in the Underworld if she didn't at least like some aspect of his personality, he knocked before entering. The room was dimly lit by two blue torches and Hades' eyes travelled around the room with interest. Persephone had one of her purple chitons thrown unceremoniously over the small chair to her dark dresser. The top of this was covered in a variety of girly objects Persephone had picked up from her last trip to the surface, in which she had enlisted the imps help to gather some things that would help her feel more 'at home' in the Underworld. Naturally Pain and Panic had jumped at the chance to help her out as always. They both seemed to have developed a sibling rivalry over who was going to impress her the most, this usually ended in them beating the tar out of each other while Hades merely commented 'imps will be imps' and stayed out of it.

Turning to the bed Hades felt his heart skip a beat as his eyes fell on the sleeping form of Persephone. Her golden hair shone brightly against the black sheets of the bed, as did her snow white skin. She sighed slightly and rolled over onto her back but didn't wake. Her lips were slightly parted and her fingers were laid across her chest.

'Wakey, wakey Seph… time for eggs and bakey.' Hades practically sing-songed softly to her and Persephone stirred moaning slightly before sitting up and rubbing her eyes sleepily.

'Hades?!' She squealed alarmed seizing the covers and pulling them up to her neck as she caught sight of him standing beside the bed. 'What are you doing here?'

'It's called breakfast in bed babe.' The god commented dryly smirking slightly at her reaction, he then perched on the edge of her bed and thrust the tray into her lap. Persephone blinked momentarily stunned by him, then she relaxed slightly still clutching the bed sheet close to her chest and inspected the contents of the tray. It was a basic breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast with some orange juice on the side.

'Um… I don't wanna sound picky or nothin' but.. I can't eat that.' She finally said and Hades blinked surprised before responding defensively.

'And why not?' Persephone didn't look remotely bothered by his reaction to her words but smiled at him in a girly fashion.

'I'm on a diet-' Hades snorted at this.

'Diet?! What in Tartarus do ya wanna diet for?? Ya look great!' The words practically forced themselves out but Persephone remained adamant.

'You know what they say 'if you wanna see what a girl's gonna look like in the future, just look at her mother… and there's no way in Tartarus I wanna have my mother's figure… I think I'd rather die!' She folded her arms at this and turned her nose up at his breakfast. Ok, Hades wasn't going to argue there as Demeter wasn't exactly the model woman, but then again Persephone wasn't Demeter was she?

'Ok first off babe, this one breakfast isn't going to kill ya if you eat it. Second off you aren't your mother and third off, the only being here who gives a _dam_ how you look is gonna be seriously offended if you _don't_ eat your breakfast. So my advice to you is… quit makin' excuses and just eat the flamin' breakfast already!' Persephone opened her perfect green eyes and gazed at him thoughtfully.

'Fine-' She narrowed her eyes then picked up the fork and stabbed the plate with venom. '-but if I put on weight because of this it's all your fault.' Hades smirked at her as she chewed the first mouthful.

'It's already marring my conscience babe.' He intoned indifferently leaning back on the footboard of the bed lazily smirking at her.

For the next few moments nothing was said as Persephone ate the breakfast slowly then pushed the tray away from her when she'd finished and pulled a sickly face. Definitely a lot more stodgy than the fruit salads she was used to eating for breakfast.

'Uhh… I feel fat now, I hope your happy.' Persephone spoke leaning back on the pillows and narrowed her eyes, a playful smirk crossed her face.

'Very.' Hades responded lightly grinning at her. 'So… whatcha gonna do while I'm checkin' the newbies into Club Dead?' He asked her and Persephone thought about it for a moment.

'Mind if I borrow the imps?' She asked. 'I wanna take them to the surface and show them what a pomegranate looks like. I asked them the other day for one and they had no clue what I was on about, then tried to offer me a fig as a substitute.'

'Sure why not? The little yutzes are buggin' the life outta me anyway… I could use a break.' Hades said honestly snapping his fingers and the tray vanished. At that moment a beeping noise came from his chiton and Hades pulled out a small black pager and sighed as he glanced at it. 'Dam… gotta blaze, my ten o'clock is here. Later Seph.' Without a further word he vanished in a wave of smoke leaving Persephone to dress in peace.

* * *

Little Notes:

Welcome back Demeter everybody!! She's been out the picture so long you almost forget she's part of the story.

The main story is starting to take shape now but hopefully I've got enough tricks up my sleeve to keep you guessing what's going to happen next. Personally I hate predictability as it kinda ruins the fun doesn't it?

I added this domestic scene afterwards to kind of lighten the chapter a little and give a bit of insight into Hades' feelings and (not so active) past love life. Heh, he's all mouth and no action…

Watch this space and take care…

Lots of Love Ditzy xXx


	9. Who invited Him?

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Nine:Who invited Him??**_

The forest of mount Nysa was quiet. The trees were a colourful display of red, brown and orange, while the bushes were laden with plump fruits of all kinds. A swirl of white orbs broke the peaceful surroundings and the creatures all fled as a small white-skinned goddess dressed in a simple purple chiton appeared. She was holding two small imps in her arms. The two minions jumped down and blinked slightly disoriented then looked around the colourful trees with interest.

'So what does this po-me-granate thing look like then?' Pain asked scratching his head confused, gazing at the different types of fruit.

'I'll show you.' Persephone said lightly brushing past the two imps and walking over to some bushes and inspecting the fruits there.

'I don't see why we couldn't just go to Sicily.' Panic chipped in. 'You said you had plenty of pomegranates there, right?' Persephone blinked then turned to him rolling her eyes.

'Panic I told you already I can't go there, how do you propose I explain to Hermes why I'm hanging out with two of Hades' lackeys?' She smiled slightly at the green imps confused look. Satisfied she turned back and moved deeper into the cluster of bushes searching for the one she wanted.

'She's got a point… Hermes is pretty sharp on the uptake.' Pain said softly to his partner who nodded in agreement.

'Yeh I guess, but I really liked that place.' He responded smiling back.

'Ah-hah!!' Her voice cried out startling both imps who jump out of their skins, literally. 'You guys are sooo disgusting!!' Persephone's voice said dispassionately as she reappeared to find the imps pulling their skins hastily back on, they both blushed fiercely at her.

'So… uh, did you find what you were looking for your loveliness?' Pain asked in a simpering tone, looking at the goddess with a mushy look as Panic rolled his eyes.

'Oh wipe that look off your face!' He pulled a sickened face turning to Pain and slapped the pink imp over the back of his head.

'Ouch! Your just jealous cause she likes me best!' Pain rounded on his partner who laughed hard at this.

'Hah! Yeh right, she does not.' He snickered at his partner.

'She does too!' Pain said firmly scowling.

'She does not!' Panic responded scowling back. Persephone blinked amazed by the imps who were sizing each other up.

'Guys… is this really necessary?' She asked but the imps weren't listening.

'Does too!'

'Does not!'

'Does too!'

'Does not!' Persephone scowled now. No wonder Hades was always loosing his temper with them.

'Oh yeh?' Pain was snarling.

'Yeh!!' Panic jeered back.

'_Knock it off_!!' Persephone screamed and both imps instantly stopped and cowered. 'Nobody likes you best!! Now stop this arguing or I'll go get Hades!' It was an empty threat but it had the desired effect, both imp's eyes widened in fear and they both began blubbering and grovelling at her feet.

'We're sorry your most attractiveness.' Panic was gibbering mindlessly.

'Yeh, it won't happen again.' Pain sobbed trying to kiss her hand.

'Ok, ok I won't say anything, just stop crying will you and pay attention.' She sighed with her face in her palm and both imps instantly reverted to their happy selves. 'This… is a pomegranate boys.' Persephone showed them the dark-skinned fruit then passed it to the imps so they could have a closer inspection.

'Whoa… it feels all bumpy.' Pain said running a hand over it's skin.

'Hey, I wonder what it looks like inside?' Panic said keenly.

'Why don't you open it and find out?' Persephone said smiling. The two imps cracked it open and looked at the inside which had red sparkling seeds and white fleshy outer pulp.

'Ewww… it's all wet and sticky!' Panic said poking the seeds curiously then rubbing his fingers together pulling a face.

'Yeh, it looks kinda gross too.' Pain said dispassionately. 'There's no way I'm eating it.'

'Me neither!' Panic said pulling a petulant face and folding his arms.

'You imps don't know what your missing.' Persephone said picking up the half the imps hadn't fingered and began sucking the seeds smiling.

* * *

The young goddess and the two imps were lazing out in the dim forest, absorbing some of the weak sunlight lazily until Persephone sighed.

'I suppose we better start heading back before Hades begins to worry.' The two imps got up instantly and ceased playing a game they had invented, it involved a couple of horse chestnuts and some string. They were just about to ask if Persephone wanted them to take some pomegranate back to the Underworld when a loud deafening roar sounded. Both imps screamed in terror then transformed into cats and shot into the nearest tree quivering with fear as the ground began to rumble.

'Gods… you two are such wussies!' Persephone tutted and stood up determined to head this nasty beast off for scaring the imps. After a moment the beast appeared and the goddess put her hands on her hips defiantly and glared, waiting for the beast to get closer.

'Any… minute… what the-?' Persephone blinked as a large muscle bound red-headed hunk suddenly dropped out of the sky in front of her.

'Don't worry ma'am… I'm a professional.' He said speaking in a low authoritive tone, flashing a perfect white smile and baby blue eyes at her. Persephone scowled now. Who in Tartarus was this bozo and why was he trying to rain on her parade?

'Excuse me?' Persephone said icily and the man blinked confused for a moment as the snarling beast was now circling them.

'Oh no-' The sleek silver tabby that was Panic scowled at the hero, recognising him instantly.

'- not Jerkules!' The fat ginger tabby that was Pain finished his sentence glaring at him too.

'-my names Hercules and don't worry ma'am… I've saved many damsels in distress.' The man was saying and Persephone's face was a picture. A mixture of indignation and surprise remained there for a good few moments before she scowled.

'I'm a goddess… I'm in _this_ dress… and I look fabulous,_ now get lost_!!' She spoke kindly then screamed, stamping her foot shocking Hercules who had never been spoken to like that before. For a moment he gawped mindlessly then responded.

'Ma'am… I really don't think you understand-' Smack! An enraged Persephone punched Hercules square in the left eye. With a small noise of surprise he fell to the ground in a heap.

Pain and Panic blinked amazed as they had never seen Persephone so riled with anybody.

'Wow… I didn't know goddesses could punch _that_ hard.' Pain snickered from his perch in the tree. Panic was scowling at the unconscious form of Hercules.

'Yeh well… serves him right.' He sniffed with disapproval.

'Heroes… oy… who needs 'em?' Persephone sighed dispassionately rolling her eyes and the beast roared at her. The goddess glared at the drooling beast. 'Oh right… almost forgot about you.' She uttered then jumped and levitated ten feet in the air to dodge the beast that pounced. It landed on it's face before growling angrily at the young goddess. Then it jumped suddenly and Persephone disappeared in a swirl of orbs just as the beast opened its mouth to snag her foot. It landed on its feet and scanned the clearing as Persephone reappeared behind it. Not seeing the goddess the beast turned to the form of Hercules still spread angled on the ground.

'_Hey_! Looking for me?' Persephone said loudly and the beast made a noise of surprise and growled at her. Persephone blinked unsure what to do next, then suddenly an urge to jerk her left wrist towards the beast hammered like Hephaestus in her head. She had no clue what this would do, but decided that since she had no better ideas it was worth obeying. Persephone raised her hand with her fingers closed waiting for the creature to close in on her. As the beast moved forward snarling Persephone jerked her wrist with her fingers flying apart and the beast imploded with a shriek of agony into a spray of bright red orbs that vanished into nothing. The forest fell silent after the echoing of screams died down. Persephone blinked surprised by what had happened. For some time she gazed unsurely at her hand as she'd never made anything implode before, her powers were definitely changing, she'd not had an aggressive power before. Turning to the tree where the two cats/imps were hiding she saw the look of sheer amazement on their faces. The sight of their surprise calmed her slightly and she smiled reassuringly to them.

'Ok boys… it's safe to come out now.' Persephone said in a motherly tone and the two imps morphed back and jumped out of the tree. 'Come on, let's go home.' She turned and began to walk away.

'Um your loveliness?' Pain said and she turned around.

'What now?' She sighed impatiently with her hands on her hips.

'What are we gonna do about Hercules?' The pink imp pointed nervously at the hero.

'Yeh… we just gonna leave him?' Panic asked her eyeing her warily and Persephone blinked.

'That's Hercules? As in Zeus' son, the guy who Hades turned mortal?' She asked suddenly taken aback and the imps nodded. She then shrugged. 'Leave him, I'm sure he'll wake up before some other monster comes along… if not, he's in for a nasty surprise.' She said stubbornly and vanished in a swirl of white orbs.

The two imps blinked surprised by her then glanced at Hercules who was laid behind them.

'Wow… did you see the way she made that Chimera implode?' Panic sighed with admiration.

'Yeh…she is so cool!' Pain said keenly and both imps grinned at each other like two kids with the greatest piece of news ever.

'Wait 'til the boss gets a load of this!' They both cried excitedly and vanished on the spot.

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey everybody!!! Firstly I'd like to apologise to the Hercules fans who read this and will probably send me some reviews over my mistreatment of young hero. It's nothing personal against the hero as I love him for his boyish charm, but to be honest I always wanted to see him punched by somebody he wanted to save. Does that really make me bad?? Don't worry I have more plans with the hero that doesn't involve him getting punched. I just thought this would be a novel way to introduce him into the story.

You will also notice Persephone changing slightly, this also happened in the myth as we see the so-called sweet goddess transformed into the stern Queen of the Underworld. It's basically the same thing here but I want to display a darker side to Persephone's vibrant personality as the story goes on hence why she looses a little humanity here with Hercules.

Thank you to everybody who's stuck with this story… your all stars!

Lots of Love… Ditzy xXx


	10. Much ado about Persephone

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Ten:Much ado about Persephone**_

After Hermes told Demeter everything he knew they searched the farmhouse that the two goddesses shared. Once the two gods had finished searching the whole house from top to bottom, they were able to deduce from the items missing in Persephone's bedroom that the young goddess had simply run away.

This news brought a flood of tears to the Nature Goddess, the two deities were now sat in her cosy kitchen out of the chilly autumn afternoon. Hermes handed Demeter yet another tissue from the box on the table and the goddess blew her nose before sniffing.

'I let this happen y'know.' Demeter said as though she had a bad head-cold and gazed blearily through her bloodshot eyes at Hermes who shifted guiltily opposite her. 'I should have been paying more attention to my daughter and not loafing about Olympus with the other gods… now-' Demeter sniffed feeling the tears well up once more. '-now she's gone.' The green Nature Goddess began sobbing hard into Hermes who's eyes bulged at the bone-crunching hug the goddess had him enveloped in. Privately he thought Persephone must have bones of Titanium just to stand the force.

'Listen Demeter… you just relax, take a load off babe. I'll check the surrounding area for her, trust me… she couldn't have got far.' Hermes said soothingly and Demeter gave him a watery smile.

'You were right all along Hermes, I should have nipped this Apollo business in the bud when I had the chance.' She said softly. 'Perhaps he's the reason she's doing this.' Hermes rolled his eyes.

'Honey, don't get me started on that guy ok?' The Messenger God said wearily. 'Be back in a flash babe.' He smiled at the Nature Goddess who nodded slowly and sighed.

Hermes shot over the neighbouring isles asking the local nymphs if they had seen Persephone. They all shook their heads but promised to call if they heard anything. Widening his search he passed over the forest of Nysa and saw the familiar bulk of Hercules sprawled out in the clearing on his front. His winged horse Pegasus was trying to nudge him into life. Concerned, Hermes lowered himself into the forest and floated around Hercules looking the young hero up and down. The winged horse backed out his way with a low whiney of worry.

'Don't tell me the Hercinator finally met his match!' He gasped horrified seriously hoping the hero wasn't dead. It would just be his luck if he had to break _that_ news to Zeus. Luckily there was a long groan of agony and Hercules finally stirred and rolled over, flashing Hermes the bright purple shiner on his left eye. The Messenger God breathed a sigh of relief and Pegasus perked up.

'Whoa Herc, don't do that to me buddy.' Hermes said in relieved tones. 'You had me going for a moment-' The young hero sat up and pushed his head in his hands.

'What hit me?' He moaned and Hermes blinked.

'I was hoping you could tell me babe, that's some shiner you got.' The Messenger God smiled kindly at Hercules who was now poking the bruised area of his left eye gently.

'Ow…' He winced lowering his hand and looking around the forest wildly finding it clear. 'What happened to the Chimera?' He suddenly asked amazed and Hermes blinked confused.

'What Chimera?' He asked scratching his head and looking concerned.

'The Chimera I was trying to save that strange girl from… you didn't see it?' Hercules asked amazed and Hermes shook his head.

'I just got here man… I'm looking for Demeter's daughter Seph, you haven't seen her have you? She's been missing a few weeks and her mom's a little freaked out right now.'

'Demeter's daughter?' Hercules repeated confused. 'Maybe I can help you search for her… what does she look like?' He suddenly stood up and Pegasus whined with relief and started licking him keenly. 'Hey, Pegasus… cut it out. I'm fine, really!' Hercules sniggered then pushed the horse away, he then turned to Hermes who was thinking the offer over.

'Sure thing buddy… we could use all the help we can get.' The blue god smiled at Hercules. 'Seph has blonde hair, white skin-'

'Lemmie guess?' Hercules said glumly cutting the god off. 'She's got green eyes and is beautiful beyond all reason, right?' Hermes blinked astonished. For a few moments he was actually speechless, a rarity for him.

'You've seen her!!' He finally choked and Hercules nodded.

'Yup… she's the one who gave me this.' He pointed at his shiner and Hermes blinked again before speaking.

'Really? She gave you it? What did you do to make her hit you man?' Hermes asked concerned but Hercules glared at him.

'Nothing!' He retorted hotly. 'All I did was try to save her and she hit me!'

'Ok… well what exactly did you say to her? I know Seph… she wouldn't hit you unless she had a reason to.' Hermes said and Hercules blinked.

'Well… she did get kinda mad when I called her a damsel in distress.' The hero said looking unsure while the Messenger God nodded thoughtfully.

'Oh. Yeh… that would do it. She doesn't like people insinuating that she's helpless.'

* * *

Hades was pacing racked with worry. He hadn't seen Persephone since leaving for work that morning. This was unusual because she always interrupted him when he was rooting through paperwork in his study with a late lunch insisting he eat it. She was a welcome distraction from the tedium that the paperwork was but he always missed her when she left him again.

The Lord of the Underworld paused to gaze forlornly out of the large round window of the throne room. Where on the surface could they have gone? For a wild moment Hades feared the worst but calmed himself by reasoning that the two imps would have come to him straight away if that was the case, they knew perfectly well how fond of her he was. Perhaps they were just having too much fun to remember the time? This thought made Hades sigh. He wished he'd been able to go with them but this was the curse of having such a busy work schedule. It was also the reason he envied Persephone as she had no job herself. Not that she didn't want one of course as she had offered to help Hades out with his but he turned her down. He didn't want her to suffer the same tedium he felt from his job.

Pulling away from the window he moved over to his throne and slumped on it, Hades toyed with the figurine of Persephone he'd picked up when passing the chessboard earlier. He studied it thoughtfully trying to think of where she could be. To his instant relief Pain and Panic appeared in throne room sniggering to each other.

'-I think he should get her some flowers.' Panic was saying cheerfully to his partner who snickered.

'More like an ice pack for her hand.' Both imps fell on the floor rolling around with mirth. Hades blinked momentarily confused by their words then cleared his throat loudly and both imps stopped laughing instantly and swivelled around to see him looking at them firmly.

'Boss! You missed it!' Panic said in a tone that suggested he was bursting with the greatest news in the world while grinning moronically. Pain nodded ecstatically while his smile mirrored his partner's and Hades blinked completely lost by their thrilled faces, what had gone on in his absence that could make the imps this happy?

'Story of my life boys… so what I miss huh? Did Zeus blow up another city state?' He asked and both imps sniggered and shook their heads.

'Better!' They both chorused excitedly bouncing on the spot. Hades blinked surprised then thought harder as the imps continued to bounce making excitable noises.

'Better huh?' He mused while gazing at them thoughtfully for a moment. The two imps were sniggering again while exchanging amused looks.

'Y'know what… I give up. What's this great news ya got for me?' He finally shrugged looking at the imps with a look which plainly read 'this better be good'.

'Miss Persephone knocked Hercules out cold!' Both imps burst out excitedly and for a moment Hades looked completely blown away then began laughing amused.

'Good one boys… you nearly had me there.' He snorted before composing himself and looking serious. 'So what's the real news?' He asked and the imps blinked confused before Pain spoke.

'That was the real news your most flameful one.' Hades blinked again then studied the imps closely. They seemed to be serious, but the idea of Persephone knocking out the overly muscled and arrogant son of Zeus was just ridiculous, wasn't it?

'Nahhh… that's crazy!!' He said firmly dismissing the whole idea. 'Why would he even be near her in the first place?' The imps glanced at each other slightly nervous now.

'Because a Chimera appeared.' Panic said nervously then closed his eyes waiting for the eruption. Hades didn't fail to disappoint.

'_What?!_' He roared bypassing orange straight to red and both imps cringed nervously.

'But your viciousness Miss Persephone imploded him-'

'Save it!!' Hades snarled cutting Pain off still fuming. 'Get me the leader of the Beasts Union now! I want a _word_ with him!' Without hesitation the two imps vanished out the nearest door before Hades could smite them both. The Lord of the Underworld sat glaring into space waiting for the imps to return.

* * *

Persephone winced in the kitchen while wrapping her right hand in a damp wet cloth, holding it against her knuckles which had stung ever since the adrenaline had vanished. The imps had probably told Hades the whole story by now as she hadn't seen them since returning to the Underworld at least an hour ago. She pulled the cloth away and studied the red mark stretching the back of her hand across her knuckles where he fist had collided with Hercules' eye socket. Judging by the yelling that was coming from the throne room, Hades wasn't ready to hear the news of her run in with the hero, hence why she had been hiding out in the kitchen for the last hour waiting for him to calm down.

Parting her fingers Persephone flexed as a dull pain seared her wrist. Maybe she should have just let the idiot fight the stupid beast in the first place? It would have saved her all this pointless agro, but then she hated being made to look like a helpless little flower. Persephone felt a wave of anger sweep over her. Curse her mother for giving everybody that impression, why couldn't she just accept her daughter for who she was? Persephone was so deeply wrapped in her thoughts she didn't even notice that the yelling in the throne room had stopped, or that a figure was now standing directly behind her studying her red knuckles tenderly.

'That looks sore.' Hades' soft voice made her jump and drop the cloth she had been holding. Spinning around Persephone saw the Lord of the Underworld standing there still smiling at her kindly. 'And don't worry about any more beasts comin' after you… I made it clear to the Sphinx what'll happen if they do.' Persephone blinked at Hades who seemed slightly nervous by her silence.

'Thanks…' She finally spoke staring at him unsurely.

'Anytime.' He replied simply and an awkward silence fell over them.

'So… I guess the imps told you what happened huh?' Persephone finally broke it and Hades smirked now.

'Yeh… can't keep anything secret to save themselves.' He spoke lightly making her smile wider.

'Typical.' She rolled her eyes. 'Did they tell you about what I did to the Chimera too?'

'That you imploded him?' Hades asked her amused and she nodded thoughtfully. 'Yup, not exactly a classy way to go but hey, whatever floats your boat-' He broke off at the peculiar look she gave him. She looked a cross between confused and scared.

'Something wrong Seph?' He asked and Persephone shrugged unsurely.

'Well… it's just I've never made anything implode before-' She paused then spoke softly. 'I think my powers are evolving the longer I stay here.' Hades blinked at her.

'Is that a bad thing?' He asked softly with a look of concern. Persephone studied him thoughtfully for a long moment then smiled and shook her head.

'No of course not-' Hades breathed a sigh of relief at her words but Persephone continued as though she hadn't seen. '-I mean Hermes knows how long I've been whining about wanting a separate identity from my mother… besides, growing flowers is ok but it's hardly career material is it?' The Lord of the Underworld smirked.

'Hey it depends what sort of career you had in mind.' He raised a brow at her and she shrugged exaggeratedly.

'I dunno… something different I guess.' She said vaguely then smiled at him. 'So… your not mad at me for punching Hercules then?' Hades blinked then grinned slyly.

'Mad?! Hah! I've wanted to do that since Zeus Junior was last down here! I'm just sorry you beat me to it.' He grinned widely and pulled her closer to him and led her out of the kitchen and along the corridor to the throne room. For a short time they walked in silence before Persephone broke it.

'So is it true that Hercules saved his girlfriend from here?' She asked Hades who groaned inwardly at the question. Clearly not something he was comfortable talking about.

'Yeh… she was a minion of mine, before she fell in _love_ with Jerkules and betrayed me!' He scowled slightly as his grip momentarily tightened around her waist.

'Oh… I'm sorry.' She said but Hades shook roughly and smiled at her.

'Heh, shoulda seen it comin' really. Meg wasn't exactly my most obedient minion.' Persephone blinked at the name of Hades' minion.

'Meg? Huh, I feel like I should know that name from somewhere.' She mused thoughtfully to herself, trying to think where she could possibly know that name as it sounded dangerously familiar. For some reason she just couldn't remember where she had heard it from.

* * *

They entered the throne room which was empty. Both deities assumed that the imps were taking their usual daily soul count down by the river Styx. This left them alone with no interruptions for the first time in a long time.

'So… how was your day?' Persephone turned to Hades who sighed smiling wearily at her while siding his hands further round her waist.

'Boring, pointless plus there was _no _distraction.' Persephone raised a brow and pursed her lips into a pout before jabbing him lightly in the chest.

'Ah I see, so that's what I am huh? Just a _distraction_.' She smirked as Hades' hands gripped her more securely as he laughed softly.

'Hey, if the sandal fits babe-' He broke off as Persephone punched him on the arm for this remark scowling playfully. '-ouch! Hmmm… just as well I like girls the way I like my drinks. Full bodied with a bit of bite.' He mused softly as Persephone's hands snaked round his neck.

'Hah! Just you try and bite me.' She declared lightly lifting her chin in mock-defiance.

'Is that an invitation?' He smirked playfully pulling her roughly against him gazing at her through narrowed eyes as she clung to him smiling a faint smile.

'Maybe… only one way to find out.' She breathed softly although her hands seemed to be pulling him forward closer to her. Their heads were inches apart now and closing his eyes Hades parted his own full blue lips slightly vowing to make this the best dam kiss of his life. Nothing was going to ruin this moment for him now, then just as their lips were about touch a voice spoke from behind Persephone.

'Holy Nyx?!' It cried out surprised. The moment was ruined as both Persephone and Hades' eyes flew open. They sprang apart then turned surprised to see Pain and Panic standing there with their mouths hanging open in shock staring. Hades flared a nasty shade of red glaring at the two imps for ruining the best moment of his life.

'I uh… I should go.' Persephone's small voice made him turn blue with shock and see her blushing a fierce peachy tone.

'No, no, no… don't go.' He said instantly but Persephone ignored this and fled from the room leaving a bewildered and disappointed Hades staring after her.

'Oh, now look what you did idiot!' Pain scolded Panic suddenly breaking the silence and the green imp looked instantly terrified as Hades' head snapped around at the pink imp's words. The god suddenly advanced, glowing a nasty shade of red with bright yellow flames.

'I was this close… _this close_!' His fingers demonstrated how close by barely touching each other. 'And then _you_… had to just _waltz in here and ruin it_!!' Both imps shook terrified as Hades advanced on them dangerously angry.

'Oh my gods!! Run for it!!' Both imps screamed in terror and shot off down the stairs to the Styx with a flaming mad Hades in hot pursuit.

* * *

Little Notes:

Hercules is alive and well people so stop glaring at me for having him punched (don't think I don't see you doing it). Of course I bet you all went: why the hell did she punch him? Now you know people… another way for Persephone to lash out against the character her mother longs for her to be. Then of course Hades' response is to applaud her actions (typical) but hey he got punched by the demi-god into the Vortex at the end of the movie so it was like payback for him.

Am I the only one who thinks the idea of beasts having a union is funny? No.. oh well, yet another chance to flash off Hades' protective side while his little hissy fit at the imps for ruining his and Persephone's first kiss balances the whole thing off. I never wanted Hades to suddenly change his bad-tempered ways just cause he's in love.

Lots of Love Ditzy xXx


	11. The Difficulty with Deities

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter eleven:The Difficulty with Deities**_

The next few weeks were a nightmare when Demeter returned to Olympus where her sisters could support her. The green goddess spent the first seven days in a mess sobbing. Once she'd given up on that she laid heavily into Hercules who was the last known person to see her daughter. This made the young hero feel awful until his mother Hera jumped in and pointed out to her sister that Hercules didn't know who Persephone was, and even if he did he could hardly stop her from leaving if he were unconscious. Zeus alternatively, seemed to be trying to stay firmly out of the picture by hiding out in his bedroom. This left Hera and Heista to chase after their sister while Hermes and Hercules were trying to coax Zeus out of his room.

Next on Demeter's radar was Apollo who received a screaming from the goddess for not leaving her 'precious little flower' alone. She then proceeded to announce that when her 'Little Cora' was found she was going to take a Vow of Chastity so 'perverted gods like you lot can't get your grubby mitts on her'.

Anarchy had definitely hit the fan, so much so that Harmonia Goddess of Peace had given up the good fight and left Olympus to go crash at her mortal boyfriend Cadmus' house. She was refusing point blank to return until the gods saw sense. She wasn't the only one either. Aphrodite had also vanished when first laying eyes on the fuming Nature Goddess storming over to Apollo and was quickly followed by Cupid. Both Love deities were hiding out on Cloud Nine where they bolted the doors shut. Hephaestus was hiding out in his forge and had turned the bellows up to full blast. He might get too hot and sweaty, but at least he didn't have to listen to the noise from above.

In Zeus' absence Poseidon, who had always been close to Demeter, had taken charge and was trying with the help of Athena to calm the situation down. Of course it didn't help when Aries the God of War, who was enjoying the ruckus, kept goading everybody so they carried on. He only stopped when Poseidon waved his trident angrily at the red god and threatened to have 'Sparky the Giant Squid' neuter him if he didn't stop 'clownin' around'. Unsurprisingly, the God of War made a sharp exit and fled to Sparta much to the amusement of his sister Athena.

At this point Hermes and Hercules had finally convinced Zeus to stop hiding out in his bedroom and come out and restore order to the gods. The Lord of Olympus finally showed his face and after throwing his weight around with a few thunderbolts the cloud resumed order. Hermes was sent to recall the gods who had fled from the scene and Zeus pushed them all into searching the surface and seas for Persephone.

Demeter calmed down considerably after this and remained with her sisters on Olympus waiting anxiously for news. The three daughters of Rhea sat clutching hands while Zeus directed the others into searching for the young goddess. It was just as well it was winter because Demeter's cornflower crown was well and truly frosted over. The mortals were in for a particularly harsh winter this year.

* * *

While all hell was breaking loose on Olympus, the Underworld was dealing with tensions of a different nature entirely. Unfortunately things had taken a backwards slide since their 'interrupted' first kiss. On the surface everything seemed fine, but after several days of watching their boss the imps could tell something had changed between him and Persephone. Hades had started acting really weird around the young goddess. He seemed unable to control his flaming hair which would instantly grow a foot while snaking over is shoulders, the god's yellow eyes lit up when she appeared and he never failed to stop whatever work he was doing to stare mindlessly at her. Well, he would until he became aware of the two imps sniggering at him, then he'd shake roughly and blast the two imps into the nearest wall.

The imps were also quick to notice that their boss wasn't so confident with his words either, he would start stumbling nervously when Persephone spoke to him, then instead of blushing when he was embarrassed his invisibility reflex would kick in and he'd vanish from sight. Persephone was polite enough not to laugh but the imps found the sight hysterical and said lines like, 'Wow, how embarrassing is that' and, 'Talk about hiding in shame' until a rather large blast of fire that came from nowhere would strike and they would run off still sniggering like little kids. Hades was definitely crazy about her.

The imps then focused their attentions on Persephone to see how she was responding and the signs were encouraging. She blushed more than usual and she'd grown more clumsy; knocking over glasses, tripping and dropping things when the imps would mention their boss' name. She grew flustered whenever she caught sight of him and often tried to avoid conversation or looking at anybody. It was clear by the peachy glow in her cheeks and the sparkle in her green eyes that she liked Hades as much as he liked her.

There was only one problem, the two deities weren't doing anything about it. Judging from the increasing frustration from Hades, who had grown moody and reserved when Persephone wasn't around, the tension was killing him. It was also murder on the imps too as they were taking the brunt of the god's pent-up anger. Persephone on the other hand seemed more gloomy than usual, she would mope aimlessly around the pool of Lethe with the latest copy of Helle, clearly she was waiting for Hades to make the first move. That wasn't likely to happen since he was a nervous wreck whenever she was around.

By day eight the imps, who were now thoroughly bored of this will-they-won't-they waltz the two gods were taking, decided that it was time for drastic action. They had to intervene. So with whatever free time they had, the two imps would barricade themselves in their shared bedroom and discuss ideas for operation Hook-Up. Pain and Panic had never pulled off a plan without Hades at the very least outlining a brief first so the progress was difficult, but slowly over the passing days the plan began to take shape. Then finally, after a whole two weeks of planning every aspect out carefully and double checking over the details, operation Hook-Up was ready to strike. Now all they needed to do was put the plan into action.

* * *

Little Notes:

Oh… tiny chapter!! Sorry peeps, when chapter 12 pops up you'll understand I promise.

So in this appallingly short chapter I wanted to show a little of Demeter's more temperamental side. Naturally both Hercules and Apollo were on the receiving end. I also felt it was important to start introducing other gods to the story. Zeus naturally is trying to avoid confrontation but eventually (with a little persuasion) pushes the gods into searching for Persephone.

Hades and Persephone experience a backwards slide in their relationship. I personally wanted to show a more unconfident side of Hades. Usually the god is fast-talking and quick-witted but here the embarrassment has caused him to slightly shrink inwards and show more of his inexperience with the kind of feelings he is dealing with.

It was also important to bring Pain and Panic into the tension as naturally as Hades' 'stress relief' they were bound to notice something up. Naturally they respond by doing what they do best. Being sneaky and underhanded but at least their intentions are good this time… will they succeed? Only one way to find out peeps… keep reading and I promise chapter 12 will be longer!

Lots of Love Ditzy xXx


	12. Time for a little 'Impish' Intervention

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Twelve:Time for a little 'Impish' Intervention**_

Pain and Panic were watching Hades from the doorway of his study. The god was sifting through receipts and invoices during his annual stock take where he would work out the expenditures of the Underworld. He always preferred to do this alone saying the imps would just get in the way of things.

'C'mon, let's just get this over with.' Panic hissed in a frightened tone bouncing up and down agitated. Pain blinked at his partner and grabbed him by the shoulders stopping the green imp from bouncing as it was irritating.

'No, we have to be subtle remember.' The pink imp whispered. 'We don't want them figuring it out yet.' Panic looked unconvinced.

'But their gonna figure it out eventually-'

'-yeh but we need them in the same place at the same time first so the plan can work.' Pain cut his partner off who finally sighed in agreement.

'Do you two want something or are you trying to be annoying?' Hades' voice suddenly sounded making both imps jump and look around towards their boss who hadn't taken his eyes off of the receipt in front of his face. 'Cause if it's the latter-' Hades finally pulled the receipt away scowling at them. '-its working.' The two imps flinched under their master's firm gaze.

'Well we were …um … just trying to remember the name of that creepy guy who was refusing to get in the Styx awhile back.' Pain said making Hades sigh heavily.

'That was Jafar! Y'know the weirdo with the bronchial problem that he thinks can be cured by laughing like a psycho?'

'Jafar… that's him!' Panic nodded and Pain smiled. 'Whatever happened to him?' These words made Hades scowl deeper with annoyance.

'He works in Tartarus now, he gets to hurt people and _we_, i.e. me… doesn't have to hear his stupid laugh… we're all happy. Was that _all_ you came for? 'The god glared before turning back to his papers and immersing himself in his work.

'Actually the reason we're here is Miss Persephone wants to know if you'll meet her down by the pool of Lethe in an hour-' This made Hades blink with amazement at the imps before him.

'She… uh, says it's important.' Pain added unhelpfully and Hades turned a nasty shade of red.

'_What_?! Why didn't you just say that in the first place?!' He seethed irritated and the imps merely grinned before dashing out of the room as a wave of fire shot out the door after them.

'Do… you think… he'll show?' Pain puffed as they stopped to catch their breaths a few feet from the bedroom of Persephone.

'Duh, that's why we said _she_ wanted to see him… he'll do anything for her!' Panic said rolling his eyes shaking his head with disbelief. The two imps walked up to the goddess' bedroom door and knocked gently.

'Who is it?' The goddess' girly voice came from inside.

'Pain-' The pink imp started.

'-and Panic.' The green imp cut across his partner.

'Come in then.' Persephone's voice sighed from inside and the two imps glanced at each other before opening the door. Persephone was laid across the bed flicking through the magazine in front of her bored.

'Y'know something?' She said instantly not even looking up from the magazine. 'The idiot who told Aphrodite _that_ outfit looked good on her should've been smote!! Pink is sooo not her colour! Hello! Skin clash!' Persephone tutted as she jabbed the page with venom then looked up at the imps. 'So… what does Mr Tall, Dark and Deadly want?' The imps both seemed to falter at the goddess' beauty as she blinked waiting for them to speak.

'The boss wants you to meet him by the pool of Lethe in an hour.' Panic said shyly and Persephone blinked then smiled widely at the two minions.

'He does… really?' She asked and both imps nodded and blushed fiercely. Persephone ignored this as by now she was used to it. 'What's it about?'

'You'll see.' Pain said slyly and Persephone suddenly sat up and threw the magazine away.

'Ok, tell him I'll be there!' She said keenly then pushed herself off the bed headed over to her dresser.

'We will.' Both imps grinned slyly at each other before leaving the goddess to it. Outside the door both imps snickered quietly. Phase one had gone off without a hitch now came the difficult part seeing phase two through without getting caught.

* * *

It was an hour later and hidden from sight Pain was practically bouncing with excitement at the prospect of the plan.

'I've said it before and I'll say it again Panic… I am definitely in the wrong job!' The pink imp said twirling a luminous pink arrow in his fingers like a baton. The green imp rolled his eyes then snatched the arrow off of his partner.

'Stop that… I don't fancy being hit by one of those things again!' Panic scowled and shivered at the memories; being unable to control the declarations of love for his partner while Pain was trying to push him off. 'Besides we only got two arrows and we only get one shot at this so no screw ups, got it?' The green imp added sternly and Pain shrugged.

'Ok, ok I gotcha.' He replied as the two imps remained in their hiding place under the barbecue. It was perfect, somewhere they could see the whole perimeter clearly without being easily spotted.

'Alrighty then, let's make sure we got everything.' Panic said pulling a clipboard out and ran his pen over the list. 'Let's see… Bow?'

'Check.' Pain picked up the lilac bow from his side. Panic grinned widely at it then ticked it off.

'Luurve arrows?' He said in a smarmy tone and Pain picked up the two love arrows one in each hand and smirking like a kid in a candy store.

'Double check.' He said cheerily putting the arrows down by the bow at his side.

'Lethe water for stray arrows?' Panic said still smiling and the pink imp picked up a vase filled with water and smirked.

'Fresh from the pool two minutes ago.' Pain grinned carefully setting the water back down without spilling it.

'Last but by no means least, flame proof shorts in case this plan fails?' Panic asked and Panic picked up two pairs of silver shorts with a wicked grin.

'Affirmative on that one bro.' He grinned widely at his partner.

'Good cause we can't take any chances, you remember the escape plan if the boss spots us?' The green imp asked and Pain waved him off.

'Yeh, yeh, yeh, shorts on and run like hell… same as always.' He spoke in an irritated voice.

'Hmmm… maybe we should put the shorts on as a precaution.' Panic said and Pain grinned.

'Already on and comfortable.' He said keenly then stood up in the silver shorts pulling a sexy pose which just looked so wrong on the chubby imp. 'How do I look?'

'Like an idiot.' Panic replied not even looking at his partner; after putting the board down at his side the green imp sighed before pulling on his shorts. Pain suddenly swivelled towards the pool surprised as something caught his eye.

'The boss has arrived.' He said making Panic spin around and the two exchanged a twisted leer that even Hades would be proud of.

'Showtime.' They both snickered impishly together.

* * *

Hades paced repeatedly backwards and forwards waiting for Persephone to show. The imps had said she wanted to meet him so where in the Underworld was she? Running his fingers nervously through his flaming hair Hades grew more anxious as the minutes passed.

'Hi.' A familiar girly voice spoke from behind him and Hades turned around seeing Persephone standing there. She was smiling at him with the same girly smile that made his heart leap and the god smiled back.

'Hey… you're late.' Hades responded lightly and Persephone blushed fiercely.

'I know, I'm sorry… so what did you want to see me about?' She asked with a slight frown on her face. Hades blinked confused then shook his head firmly.

'No, no, no, the imps told me you-' Hades broke off and turned a light shade of orange as the realisation that they had been tricked by those two sneaky cowards.

From underneath the barbecue Pain was loading the first arrow into the bow and taking aim.

'Are you sure you know what your doing?' Panic asked warily eyeing the arrow with unease.

'Hey, what do you think I am? Stupid or something?' Panic rolled his eyes and chose not to answer that question, then suddenly he noticed Hades was a bright shade of orange while his yellow eyes were scanning the area for something.

'The boss must have realised the truth… we haven't got much time.' Pain blinked astonished.

'Wow… he's good!' He said then returned to his directing the arrow while Panic watched twitching with anxiety.

'You gotta hit the boss first so he'll calm down.' Pain rolled his eyes.

'Yeh, yeh I know… sheesh Panic your worse than my mom!'

Persephone hung back as Hades began to implode some of the sun loungers impatiently.

'Come out, come out wherever you are.' He crooned softly in a creepy tone that suggested the imps were in big trouble no matter what they did next.

'I still don't understand. Why would they want to set us up like this?' Persephone's voice made Hades pause from what he was doing and turn blue before looking back at the young goddess with a smile.

'That's a great question Seph-' Hades turned back around and resumed his orange complexion while glaring murderously around. '-it's the first thing I'm gonna torture out of the little runts when I get my hands around their scrawny necks!' He suddenly whirled around and shot a fireball at a table with a beach umbrella and it exploded into a pile of ash. After inspecting the damage the god couldn't find any trace of the imps. 'Dam… I thought I had 'em.' Hades said firmly before turning to Persephone who was smiling at him.

Meanwhile under the barbecue a few feet away from where the pile of ash stood. Panic gasped as their boss turned to Persephone.

'Shoot him! Shoot him now!' He hissed at Pain who nodded and drew back the string of the bow with the luminous pink arrow pointed directly at Hades' back. 'We'll never get another shot like that! Not in a zillion years!'

'Here ya go your surliness… just what the doctor ordered.' Pain grinned widely letting the arrow go and it shot towards its target like a luminous pink lightning bolt.

Hades suddenly felt a sharp pain hit him squarely in the back making him close his eyes and wince inwardly while silently cursing the imps.

'Are you ok?' Persephone's voice sounded alarmed and Hades felt her touch his shoulder lightly, a tingly feeling washed over him making the god open his eyes and smile at her. As soon as he laid eyes on her concerned face an overwhelming mix of emotions flooded through his mind, then suddenly he knew exactly what to do. Grabbing her around the waist he pulled her roughly right up against him sliding his other hand round her holding her securely.

'Whoa… Hades what are you-?' Persephone started surprised but her last words were cut off as he pushed his lips over hers and began kissing her hungrily. For a moment she didn't respond out of shock then both her hands slipped around his shoulders and Persephone was kissing him back. Her lips were so soft, so sweet and Hades felt his head spinning. All the previous tensions and anxiety from the last few weeks vanished with this one meaningful act. The wait had been way too long and they definitely had some lost time to make up for.

Pain and Panic gawped in shock for a long moment still hidden under the barbecue. Their bosses were kissing, but more astonishingly the plan had actually worked. Panic felt a tear run down his cheek as he watched the two gods watery-eyed.

'Hey Panic?' Pain's voice brought the green imp back and he flicked a tear away before turning to his partner who also looked blown away by the sight of their bosses. 'What we gonna do with this?' Panic's eyes dropped to Pain's hands which were holding a luminous pink arrow. Panic blinked surprised then turned to Pain.

'You didn't shoot Miss Persephone?' The green imp asked amazed and his partner shrugged.

'I don't think we need to do you?' Pain replied wiggling his eyebrows slyly then gestured unnecessarily back to the two kissing gods.

'I guess not.' Panic took the arrow off of Pain then tossed it at the nearest wall where it vanished into a small puff of pink smoke.

* * *

Persephone draped her arms lazily over his shoulders as Hades' lips kissed her deeper. She could feel the points of his teeth graze her bottom lip as his tongue probed her mouth with urgency. The kiss felt so perfect, just as she'd always known it would be. Hades let out a low groan of pleasure; the noise acted like a trigger for his fingers to begin roaming her curves with interest. Persephone slowly moved her fingers up his neck into his flames making them spread across his shoulders. Her silvery aura brightened as she twirled Hades' fiery hair. His lips were moving across her jaw-line with short kisses which stirred her desire making her take a sharp intake of breath. In response to this Hades gripped her bottom and pulled her hips to his grinding slowly and moving breathlessly over her neck. Suddenly her brain kicked in; they shouldn't be doing this yet. Acting instantly Persephone moved her hands from his head and began to gently push against his chest.

'Hades.' Persephone breathed anxiously as her eyes fluttered open and he instantly pulled away looking at her with concern.

'What's up?' He asked softly with his fingers returned to her waist. The goddess seemed a little flustered and blown away by all of this, she bit her lip nervously unsure if she was being unreasonable.

'Nothing; it's just… this is moving a little too fast-' Persephone paused before continuing, '-I mean we haven't been on a date or anything-'

'Ok… so what's stopping us from going on this date?' Hades cut over her making her blink momentarily distracted from her thoughts.

'But what about your work?' The words suddenly blurted out of Persephone's mouth making Hades smirk.

'Re-lax… I got it covered.' He said pulling away from Persephone, he turned around before bellowing, 'Alright you idiots… I know you're watching now front and centre!' His golden eyes roamed the area for the two imps then rested on them as they shot out from the barbecue.

'You wanted to see us your sternness?' Pain said nervously making Persephone flash them a small smile from behind Hades who narrowed his eyes. Both imps flinched before the god who suddenly straightened smiling at them.

'Ok boys… mind the business for me I'm taking Seph out.'

'Yes sir.' Panic responded as he and Pain saluted while standing ridged.

'Yeh, yeh very cute.' Hades then turned to Persephone who smiled at him. 'Why don't you get ready babe… I'll be with ya once I've had a word with the imps.' He said and both minions suddenly glanced terrified at each other wondering if they were about to get smote.

'Sure.' Persephone responded and kissed his cheek surprising him before vanishing into a swirl of white orbs. For a moment Hades merely looked dazed before he shook remembering what it was he wanted to say to his minions. They shook nervously at the stern gaze he threw them.

'Alright, I know you two are responsible for this so I've only one thing to say-' He broke off from his words for dramatic effect, the two imps cringed. 'Thanks.' Hades said with a brief smile before vanishing on the spot.

For a long moment Pain looked slightly dazed at the empty space where Hades had vanished; maybe this was a trick and the boss was going to reappear and smite them. After a good few minutes he relaxed slightly realising that this was for real.

'He did thank us, right?' He asked his partner making sure this wasn't a dream. Panic turned to Pain and the two minions looked overwhelmed at each other before they suddenly shared a wide toothy grin. Suddenly Panic turned away from Pain who blinked surprised by the emotional look on the green imp's face.

'What's with you?' The pink imp asked his partner who sniffed.

'I can't believe the boss is going on a date.' Panic responded wistfully while Pain rolled his eyes.

'Of all the minions Hades had to partner me up with… I got the sap!' He frowned shaking his head with disapproval then grabbed his partner by the arm. 'Come on pansy, we got work to do!'

* * *

Little Notes:

This is where the two imps play matchmakers for the Underworld deities. Of course just like in the myth it's only Hades who is hit with Cupid's arrow, however it's effects act more as a confidence booster since he was already attracted to Persephone. I prefer the idea of the imps shooting Hades rather than Cupid, that way Aphrodite has no claim to bringing the two together.

Hope you like my little nod towards the episode of Hercules where Hades and Jafar worked together. I love the idea of Jafar working in Tartarus. Seems like the kind of place he would like and it's a good place for Hades to shove him because let's face it… the guy really did wind the god right up with his awful laugh!

I told you guys all would become clear in twelve…

Take Care… Lots of Love Ditzy xXx


	13. A date with Dis

_Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me._

_Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…_

_thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx…._

_****__The Plight of Persephone _

_**Chapter Thirteen:A Date with Dis**_

Persephone changed out of her usual purple dress and into a strapless tight black dress with a large slit up to her left hip. It was held in place with her large flower shaped, silver and purple pin just above the start of the slit. Her hair was loose and wavy shining brightly against the dark material. She wore grey eye-shadow which highlighted her green eyes making them sparkle above her painted ruby lips. Persephone spritzed herself with her home-made flowery perfume before checking her reflection. She looked hotter than Aphrodite and she knew it. Curving her lips into a smile Persephone set the perfume on the dresser and went to the throne room to find Hades waiting for her.

'Aye chi wa-wa.' The god breathed the moment he laid eyes on her. Persephone looked like she truly belonged in the Underworld now. 'Seph, you look… amazing.'

'Thanks.' She replied smiling feeling a hot flush threaten to burn her cheeks, determinedly she held it in check. 'So… where are you taking me?'

'Well, it's winter… that blows any surface dates but I _do_ know this place on the edge of the Elysian Fields if your interested?' Hades smiled at the young goddess who beamed back.

'Sure.' Persephone replied and the Lord of the Underworld yanked her by the waist into him. They vanished on the spot for their date…

'No freakin' way!' Persephone said, eyes wide with amazement at the god and he smiled from across the restaurant table.

'Mmm hmm.' Hades nodded while lighting his cigar and taking a lazy drag. Persephone squealed at the information she'd just received and clapped her hands excitedly.

'Wow… I mean, I knew about her affair with Zeus because he's Bacchus' dad but she went with Po-Po too? When was mother seeing him?' She waited eagerly as Hades blew a large smoke ring then smiled at her. Persephone's eyes were shining with expectation at the dirt on her mother.

'Let me see…' Hades drawled slouching slightly and taking another puff. 'This was right after the Titan War before Po-Po started seeing Amphritrite… in fact, I believe he left Demeter for her.'

'Really?' Persephone smirked amused. 'No wonder mother hates men…' The goddess tailed off and glanced around the now empty restaurant. It was pretty ritzy for a place in the Underworld and the only place where Hades and the former heroes could meet. Persephone had never agreed with Zeus' opinion that only heroes deserved an easy afterlife. There were others that deserved recognition in her mind too, but like Hades had once told her, ''Zeus is running the show Seph… he can do what he wants.'' She'd just have to accept it; something that was easier said than done.

'So…' Persephone turned back to Hades who had been taking another drag of his cigar enjoying the peaceful surroundings. 'Tell me about you and Hercules.'

'What's to tell?' Hades shrugged sending smoke everywhere. 'I hate the kid, that's no secret-'

'Well duhh!' Persephone cut him off rolling her eyes irritably. 'I knew that Hades, what I ment was… what started you off on this I'll-kill-the-son-of-Zeus thing?' The god blinked at her then pondered how best to respond.

'Alright, I'll tell you.' He eventually sighed. 'It was the Fates.'

'The Fates?' Persephone repeated confused. 'What did they say?'

'Just that if I defeated Hercules I'd be able to rule the cosmos… so-' Hades sighed looking suddenly depressed. '-like a yutz I went off and turned him mortal didn't I? Then ba-da-bing… the rest is history.' He took some short puffs of his cigar as though trying to relax. For sometime Persephone watched Hades thinking about the Fates. She'd never personally met them before but going on what she'd heard from Hermes; they had a rather warped sense of humour and usually got their way in the end, so it was pointless to argue with them. But what did they get out of this Hades/Titan rebellion? Hades was still in the Underworld, Zeus was still ruling Olympus and Hercules.… The goddess' eyes clouded over as another thought entered her mind.

'That's it!' Persephone said suddenly slapping her hand on the table. 'It all makes sense now.' Hades who'd taken the last drag of his cigar was staring at her confused.

'What makes sense?' He asked stubbing out his cigar in the ashtray next to him. Persephone smiled suddenly focusing on him.

'Don't you see? Why would the Fates send you after Hercules? It makes no sense, _unless_ you see it from another point of view.' The dark god rolled his eyes with scorn.

'Yeh right… Seph, that's insane-'

'Just answer me this.' Persephone cut over him. 'Where would Hercules be if you hadn't turned him mortal then gone after the cosmos?' Hades shrugged.

'On Olympus with Zeus-'

'Exactly, another nameless face in a sea of gods. Now let's say that the Fates decided that they didn't want that for him. How were they going to separate him from the other gods?' Hades blinked. 'Go to the one deity with the tools for the job and install a reason to do it.' Persephone sat back as Hades digested this new information.

'Whoa… back up.' He suddenly responded. 'Are you saying I was a _tool_?' Persephone nodded.

'I think you were just a way to meet and end, I'm sorry.' She whispered the last two words as Hades looked like his whole world was crashing before him.

* * *

Hades felt annoyed. He hated Zeus, he hated Hercules and now he hated himself for not seeing the truth. But why hadn't he seen this before? Probably because it was so blindingly obvious. The Fates had been responsible for everything. He couldn't believe that for the umpteenth time he'd become a puppet of the Fates; he really had to stop trusting those old bags. It definitely wasn't healthy.

His gold eyes turned to Persephone who was watching him anxiously, as though she expected him to say something. Her beautiful face was instantly calming as she looked at him with wide innocent green eyes. She really did look good in black, she should wear it more often. Not that the purple dresses hadn't had their charm, but this made her look older with more elegance. Hades let his eyes wander briefly over Persephone's curved figure before resting back on her face. Dam, that dress was _tight. _Persephone had told him that the imps had given the materials to her when she'd asked for them. Did that mean she'd been hoping for a date? It seemed like it.

Persephone's figure was definitely something else. Hell, she had better curves than Aphrodite and she was younger to boot. She was barely of age though; still in the dangerously near the line of being jailbait eye candy. He could have some seriously nasty thoughts about that later on.

'Are you ok?' Persephone's sweet girly voice spoke breaking the lengthy silence and Hades' focus snapped onto her again.

'Huh? Oh sure.' He barely heard his own response as he carried on his thoughts. One hundred and five was the age of consent for gods; another rule enforced by the Stupid Rule Department, spear-headed by Zeus, the founder of it. Still, last time Hades had been in an Olympian council meeting there had been suggestions made to raise the Decree of Maturity. One hundred and four was the mortal equivalent of sixteen, the suggestion had been to raise the limit to seventeen. If this rule was enforced this ment Persephone would be one hundred and eleven before she'd be legally of age. Seven years until he'd be legally able to touch her? It wasn't a huge amount of time.. Dam, he was having problems just trying to stop himself from kissing her. Harmonia and Hebe had objected as this change in the law affected them, bringing strong arguments of independence and some other guff. He should really have paid attention to what they'd been saying, but he'd been too busy thinking about how to wipe the smug look off of Zeus' face. At the time Hades hadn't understood why Hermes and Bacchus had objected; it didn't make sense then as it didn't affect them. However now it made sense, they were objecting for Persephone who of course had been one hundred and four, and also about to turn of age. No wonder Demeter had been on the side for change. She didn't want to loose her daughter. What was it Persephone said Demeter called her… 'Cora'? Wasn't as bad as 'Fussy Brat', the name his own father Cronos used call him. That of course was before he'd gone mad with power and eaten both him and Poseidon. Mind you; he'd pick 'Fussy Brat' over 'Snot Face' and 'Dribble Fish' which were Zeus and Poseidon's nicknames.

'What are you thinking about?' Persephone asked and Hades shook clearing his mind before resting his eyes back on the goddess.

'Ah, was just thinking about my dad. Y'know before he went nuts and decided that Po-Po and me were a good starter before a rock.'

'It must have been hard-' Persephone responded gently. 'I'm sure deep down he loved you-'

'Oh yeh.' Hades snorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 'Because nothing says, 'I love ya son' like being an appetiser! Give me a break.' The god folded his arms stubbornly. Persephone smiled at him before getting to her feet and grabbing his wrist.

'C'mon Hades, let's go…'

* * *

After leaving the restaurant they moved to the pool of Memory which was located on the edge of a sterile woody area. Persephone blinked surprised by the sight of the white poplar that was placed by the side of the water. Settling down in-between Hades' legs she lent on his chest as the god curled his arms around her back. For a some time nothing was said as the two sat there enjoying the peace. Persephone could smell both his tangy aftershave and the smell of the cigar Hades had smoked after the meal. He wasn't a heavy smoker he just liked a smoke after his meals; not that Persephone would have minded either way as she liked the smell of it.

When she asked about the white poplar Hades told her the story of his ex Leuce. Persephone was touched that he'd made the effort to put this memorial up, it made her admire the god more. Hades fell silent for a moment or two deep in thought while running his fingers absent-mindedly through her hair.

'So… you have any former lovers you wanna tell me about?' He suddenly asked out of the blue making Persephone turn her head towards him and gazed surprised by the hesitant expression he pulled. She shook her head.

'No… my only ex was a jerk.' Hades raised a brow intrigued.

'Really? What did he do to you?' He smirked but Persephone frowned.

'He was a pompous twat who dumped me for a mortal!' She said moodily turning away from Hades who blinked surprised.

'Ok, now that's insulting…' He frowned momentarily then asked, 'Did you even the score?' There was a moments silence.

'I had him killed.' Persephone eventually replied softly wondering if he was going to judge her too harshly for this decision.

'Nice.' Hades responded after a moment. This made Persephone lift her head up and look at him directly. There was no trace of concern or shock on his face.

'Your not bothered?' She asked amazed but Hades smirked lazily at her while his fingers slid down her back.

'Nahh! He did me a favour…' He tailed off thinking and Persephone settled back into his arms resting her head on his shoulder closing her eyes. Silence loomed over them once more as they remained cuddled up.

'Hades.' Persephone spoke softly not bothering to open her eyes.

'Hmmm?' The god responded pulling himself out of his thoughts and turning towards her.

'I was wondering… would you mind if I grew some plants?' Persephone continued in a slow cautious tone. Hades blinked momentarily confused.

'Plants?' He repeated and Persephone nodded gently then opened her eyes.

'In the Underworld…' Persephone tailed off at the expression of surprise on Hades' face. '-it might brighten the place up.' She added lightly as he frowned pondering her words.

'Alright.' He finally sighed before adding sternly, 'But nothing too cheery ok? This is the Underworld… I have standards to keep.' Persephone threw her arms around the Lord of the Dead beaming widely.

'Oh Hades… you're the best!' She squealed excitedly then pecked his lips. Surprised but pleased Hades grinned widely at the goddess nestled in his lap with her arms around his neck.

'Boom.' He replied simply and the goddess smiled at him. For a moment Hades gazed at her through narrowed eyes before pulling her to him. 'C'mere you.' He uttered huskily and the two began kissing passionately.

* * *

Little Notes:

Ok I'll start with the title of this chapter because I bet it confused a few of you who didn't do your homework on deities. 'Dis' is the abbreviated form of 'Dis Pater' one of many Roman titles for Hades so the chapter is entitled; 'A date with Hades'… you with me? Good.

Persephone has changed her appearance, another transition into her role in the Underworld. I want this to be a slow drawn out process the longer she stays.

Let's talk about Bacchus. I know that he was supposed to be Persephone's son but there is a very old myth that suggests it wasn't her but Demeter. The two were often confused because Persephone was perpetually in her mother's shadow. I chose to have Demeter as his mother because Persephone is technically the baby deity, if you don't include Hercules of course.

I wanted to mention the Fates as they come into the story very soon. The fact that they've been using Hades to get what they want will also come back.

Then we reach Cronos; a little of Hades' resentment for his father seeps through here. Of course judging by the nicknames that he issued his sons, Cronos was already feeling hatred towards the three of them before hearing the prophecy that spurred him into action… so that's where Hades gets it from.

Lastly the Decree of Maturity argument, please don't try to figure out how I'm working the difference between mortal and god years. I'm making it up as I go along. The way I imagine it is; while the gods are infants the aging process is faster, then as they approach their teens the process slows and once they reach adulthood it slows right down. Hence why the first generation of gods look older than the second.

Thanks for reading peeps… glad somebody's enjoying the story but PLEASE review… I love hearing what people think… if you don't wanna review publicly you can tell me in a P.M… lots of love and a big MmmMwha… Ditzy xXx


	14. What becomes of the Broken Hearted?

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Fourteen:**__**What becomes of the Broken Hearted?**_

The search for Demeter's wayward daughter seemed like an endless slog. As the days moved into weeks there was a distinct feeling of despair settling on Olympus. Demeter put on a brave front as she finished off her Harvests. Having something to do had distracted her slightly from her grief. However, when winter was in full swing Demeter was supposed to be on holiday but the goddess couldn't settle. She moped aimlessly around Olympus never breaking a smile. Sometimes she would cry for no reason when she saw Hera and her young daughter Hebe together.

Heista was very concerned about her younger sister. Demeter wasn't eating at all anymore and not even her delicious Ambrosia Soufflé could rouse the Nature Goddess' appetite. Demeter's aura was waning and she'd taken to sitting cross-legged by herself rocking and muttering. Sometimes she would just sit there glassy-eyed staring into space, barely acknowledging the deity sitting next to her. Although Heista knew her niece could take care of herself, it was upsetting to see Demeter so cut up about her daughter's disappearance. She'd never realised just how reliant her younger sister had been on her niece's company.

As Persephone was her favourite niece Heista had taught her all the homely arts, like baking and dress-making. Usually in the winter Heista and Persephone spent a lot of time together in the kitchen nattering away while cooking up delicious treats and staying cosy. Heista missed her niece but she had unwavering hope that Persephone would contact them soon.

Bacchus, who was Demeter's oldest child, had arrived home from his travels in India to find his little sister was missing threw himself into the search. Though not before consoling his mother by insisting that his little sister 'Sephy' was going to be a major pain in the butt to whoever had kidnapped her. Demeter glared at him with such a black look that the God of Parties promptly left to find Hermes before his mother disowned him. Bacchus had a real knack for rallying round support and keeping everybody's hopes up when they were getting disheartened.

There was however, one god who Bacchus couldn't cheer up; the Lord of Olympus. Zeus was not only running out of places to search he was also running out of patience. It was ridiculous. How could one tiny insignificant goddess cause such a fuss? Demeter was being completely absurd if she thought that they were going to find Persephone this way. Teens were teens in the Lord of Olympus' eyes. He believed that Persephone was probably doing this for attention and the goddess would be back when she realised she wasn't getting the response she wanted.

Pushing his personal feelings aside Zeus wandered the halls of Olympus until he found the deity he was looking for.

'How is she holding up?' He asked his wife Hera who was stood in the doorway watching her older sister with concern. The Goddess of Marriage turned to her husband and saw the weary look on his face.

'Not very well.' Hera responded softly. 'How is the search going?'

'Awful… we've searched everywhere, there's no sign of her daughter anywhere on earth.' Hera glanced back nervously at her sister but she didn't seem to be listening. Turning back to her husband Hera pushed him out of the hallway so they were out of earshot of her sister. The Nature Goddess was rocking herself slowly staring into the fire Heista had made her before disappearing off for a nap.

'What are you saying?' Hera hissed with wide anxious eyes. 'Surely the girl can't have vanished into nothing… can she?' Zeus sighed heavily.

'No but wherever the goddess is… clearly she doesn't want to be found.' Zeus looked warily at his wife who blinked then suddenly looked terrified as though she had second guessed what he was going to suggest.

'You're not suggesting we give up?' Hera asked appalled by the thought but Zeus shrugged guiltily. Hera wasn't satisfied with this response. 'Zeus?' She prompted him folding her arms and scowled at her husband.

'But honey…' Zeus faltered under his wife's unusually firm gaze. 'It's pointless… she could be anywhere by now; the gods are neglecting their duties just for this one defiant child! It's crazy! What will happen to the mortals if we keep this up?' Zeus said firmly.

'What will happen to Demeter if we stop?!' Hera hissed. 'She's heartbroken dear… don't you remember what we were like when Hercules went missing?' Zeus sighed irritably now.

'It's not the same! He was just a baby… Persephone is an adult for Rhea's sake-'

'Shhh!' Hera hissed worried that Demeter would hear them arguing. 'We can't just give up now.'

'I'm sorry Hera.' Zeus folded his arms firmly remaining stubborn. 'We've searched everywhere and Persephone is nowhere to be found… we must try and move past this and get on with our lives. The mortals need us to-'

'So your just giving up?' A voice came behind the two rulers of Olympus and they both turned to see Demeter standing behind them looking firm and more sane than she had in weeks.

'No, no… of course not!' Hera rushed to sooth her angry sister but her embrace was rebuffed by the Nature Goddess who only had eyes for Zeus. The golden god flinched slightly under the Nature Goddess' unwavering look then bit into the last of his determination and addressed her.

'Demeter… I'm sorry it's just-'

'You're sorry.' Demeter cut over him. Her voice was unnaturally cold. 'My daughter is somewhere out that probably scared and alone and you're sorry… I see.' Her arms were folded tightly across her bust. Hera's blue eyes were swivelling torn between her sister and her husband who were both glaring as though seeing each other plainly for the first time.

'We've searched everywhere… Persephone is gone.' Zeus said stiffly. 'It's time you stop grieving, spring will be here soon and the mortals will need you to prepare the crops for this years Harvest.'

'Is that all you care about?' Demeter said firmly still glaring at Zeus. 'My daughter can suffer alone but your precious mortals must come first?'

'No… he didn't mean it like that!' Hera suddenly tried to defend her husband taking her sister's hands. Demeter turned to her sister's worried look still scowling.

'Oh stop it!' She spoke harshly wrenching her hands out of her sister's grip. 'He knows exactly what he's saying!' Demeter pushed Hera out of her way and stood towards Zeus who spoke again.

'The whole world cannot stop just because your daughter has decided to run away!' Zeus snarled and Demeter bristled.

'Fine…' She uttered looking bold. 'If that's the way you feel.' Zeus blinked stunned by this response. Definitely not what he'd been expecting.

'It is.' He responded and Demeter suddenly turned away.

'Very well… then I'll look for her myself.' The Nature Goddess said crossly and began to walk away from the two deities. Hera flinched with worry then turned to her husband.

'Stop her!' She hissed terrified and Zeus blinked before turning back to Demeter.

'Demeter… what about spring?' He asked and the Nature Goddess stopped in her tracks before slowly turning back around seeing her sister Hera's hopeful smile and her brother-in-law's worried look.

'Spring will just have to wait until I'm ready for it to come.' She said before turning around and continuing down the corridor. Hera looked aghast before suddenly running after her sister.

'Demeter… wait. We can help you!' She followed her sister before stopping as Demeter vanished into a large orange flower then the Goddess of Marriage stopped looking forlorn.

'She's gone.' Hera uttered hopelessly as Zeus finally caught up with her. 'She's really gone.' Zeus sighed as his wife continued to look sadly at the spot where her sister had vanished. The night was drawing in now and soon Morpheus and Phantosis would be out creating sleep and dreams. There was just one more thing Zeus had to do before he could sleep.

'Hermes!' The Lord of Olympus called and with a rush of blue the Messenger God appeared.

'You called big guy?' Hermes asked looking slightly strained. Hermes had been unusually gloomy since Persephone's absence.

'Yes, call the gods for an emergency meeting.' Zeus said and the blue god saluted.

'You got it!' He vanished out of sight once more and Hera sighed.

'I hope you know what your doing.'

……………………………….............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

The coliseum on Olympus was a buzz with the multi-coloured gods who were chatting to each other wondering what this meeting was about. Phantosis twitched impatiently in the corner as Zeus had asked him and his brother Morpheus to remain behind for a few moments before heading out to do their jobs. Hermes did a breif head count of all the gods present then nodded to Zeus to show they were ready to begin.

'I'm sorry to have to call this meeting but there are a couple of things I feel need to be addressed.' The Lord of Olympus said clearly and the assembly fell silent then turned towards him.

'First of all… it is with my deepest regret to inform you all that I have decided to bring the search for Persephone to a close-' Zeus broke off as these words were met with a ripple of gasps from the crowd. Hermes was floating above the proceedings looking particularly worried. 'I know that everybody is as concerned as I am to find out where the young goddess has got to but it cannot take priority anymore… we are abandoning our jobs and it is time to move on with our lives and once more take charge of the mortals in our care.' There was a general murmur of agreement to these words as the gods were well aware that they had all let their jobs slide.

'Anybody who wishes to carry on the search may do so provided they are keeping up to date with their own jobs first.' Zeus directed this towards Hermes who smiled gratefully at his boss and nodded solemnly.

'Now, the other thing I wished to discuss is our Nature Goddess.' Zeus said and all the gods suddenly became aware that Demeter was not in their presence anymore. 'As you all are aware Demeter has not been herself since the disappearance of her daughter and there have been many questions on her sanity… She did not take kindly to my decision to stop searching for her daughter.. as a result, she has left Olympus to search for her-' This time the gods began to hiss agitatedly amongst each other which ment Zeus had to raise his voice for the next part.

'I do not want anybody to disturb her!' This comment was met with a single sound.

'Huh?' Every god spoke in unison. Even Hera raised her brows in shock.

'Demeter needs time by herself to search and truly come to terms with her situation… give her the space to do so and I'm sure she will be back among us soon.' There was a look of doubt which went around the assembly at this point so Zeus added. 'If not… well; let's just wait and deal with it if it comes to that… does anybody have any questions?' The gods looked around each other muttering with anxious eyes but nobody spoke up.

'Good… meeting adjourned.' He waved them all off and headed for bed. Morpheus and Phantosis exchanged a worried glance but shrugged then headed off to fill the world with sleep and dreams as they were slightly behind schedule. Most of the other gods remained behind and began discussing their fears for spring; what if Demeter was not around in time to start the season off? Would she really punish the mortals if she couldn't see her daughter?

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Little Notes:

Hey everybody!! I feel I should mention this little thing… I **do** accept anonymous reviews, just incase you all thought otherwise… I understand if you'd rather remain faceless or are just too lazy to login..

The chapter title is a line from a song which I think sets this chapter off nicely.

This is all about Demeter and how her grief is affecting the rest of Olympus. Especially those closest to her, i.e. her sisters and her son Bacchus who has returned from India. Those of you who are aware of the stories of Dionysus (Bacchus' proper Greek name) concerning his travels there should know that one of his emblems was a tiger, an animal he took a shine to while visiting the country…Wow! I sound like a right nerd huh?

The Nature Goddess' argument with Zeus over stopping the search for her daughter was a way of getting her to stop moping around and get proactive. She's done waay too much moping around don'tcha think?

Zeus naturally is left to deliver the news to the rest of Olympus. Needless to say, they don't take it too well.

Until next time peeps… watch this space! Take care… mmmMwha Ditzy xXx


	15. Three Old Crones with an Eye for Trouble

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Fifteen:**____**Three old Crones with an Eye for Trouble**_

The Underworld was looking a little more homely now that Hades was letting Persephone grow plants. The goddess had changed the entire look of the pool of Lethe so it now resembled a duplicate of her grove on the surface with twisted sinister willows, thorny rose bushes and star flowers dotted everywhere giving off eerie glows of light. She'd also replaced the tacky beach furniture with some proper garden furniture so the whole area looked stunning. Persephone had also altered the pool of Memory growing pinky asphodels and white lilies around the tree of Leuce. The sterile forest nearby was dotted with star flowers and more of the gloomy pink asphodels. The souls seemed to like these areas best and had dubbed them the Asphodel Fields in honour of the pink flowers that had spread like weeds across the Underworld.

Hades had been very open-minded of her changes which surprised Persephone as she'd expected him to control how many changes she made. Instead of breathing down her neck in the same fashion her mother did Hades just left her to do her own thing. He just seemed to want her to be happy.

Persephone was even seen beside the docks welcoming souls to the Underworld. Hades had finally allowed the goddess to help out by greeting the new arrivals. Persephone it seemed had a soothing effect on the souls; she had a real knack for making them feel right at home. The goddess was a perfect hostess; talking the souls through the many stages of the Underworld and calming their nerves before ushering them into the Styx.

As winter rolled into spring the two deities had more time to devote to each other and once again became inseparable. The few souls who arrived were greeted by a jaunty Hades and his perky missus before being subjected to a front row seat as the two deities flirted with each other. This usually ended with the two kissing fiercely while the severely disturbed souls couldn't get away from them fast enough. The Underworld was scary enough without seeing the it's lord and master making out with his pale-skinned girlfriend.

……………………………….............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Hades entered the throne room sighing heavily, he was splattered in mud and his robes had several gashes in the sides. Pain and Panic who had also just entered from the opposite end of the room stopped in their tracks and stared with amazement at their boss. He was filthier than they'd ever seen him before.

'What happened?' Panic asked instantly making Hades scowl deeply at his minions before noticing that they each had a square brown cake in their hands.

'What you got there? Brownies?' The god's anger melted away as he looked curious to find out where the imps had got such a treat from.

'Yeh, Miss Persephone just made them.' Pain answered grinning widely before taking a large bite of his cake and continuing, 'You might wanna clean up a bit your grubbiness, judging by the spread she's whipped up I think your expecting company.' This made Hades blink in shock.

'What? Where's Seph?' The imps pointed into the next room as they both had mouths full of brownies. Hades swept past the two of them into the next room and Panic swallowed his mouthful and turned to his partner.

'These brownies are to _die_ for!' He sighed with fondness at his half eaten slice.

'Tell me about it! Cake never tasted so good!' Pain nodded in agreement, his mouth covered in a sticky chocolate mess.

Hades blinked as he walked into the next room to find the table laid out for afternoon tea. He cast a critical eye over the spread until he spotted Persephone bent over the table fiddling with some teacups. At this sight a playful leer crossed his face.

'Oh yeh…' He said in a low throaty tone before laughing softly. 'I do like a room with a view.' Persephone blinked but smiled before straightening, turning around she then saw Hades' appearance.

'What happened to you?' She smirked amused as Hades narrowed his eyes.

'Your mutt decided to drag me through the muddy banks of the Styx, _then_… if that wasn't bad enough, he got this insane notion to yank me through the woods at the far side of the Asphodel Fields-' Hades broke off as Persephone giggled. 'Seph-' The god sighed, '-I'm lookin' for some schmooze here, ok? C'mon, work with me.'

'I'm sorry… I just think it's funny that every time Cerberus misbehaves you consider him _my_ dog.' She smiled at Hades who smiled back wearily.

'Heh, what can I say?' He shrugged. 'He makes me think of you.'

'Charming!' Persephone snorted with laughter. 'Remind me why I put up with you?' She smiled at Hades as he pulled her into him.

'Cause for some insane reason you love me.' The god smirked pushing his face to her but stopping just short so their lips were inches apart.

'I knew it had to be something like that.' She breathed softly before kissing him. After a moment Persephone pulled away running her eyes over her filthy other half.

'You better get cleaned up… the Fates will be here any minute.' Her voice made Hades straighten instantly with surprise.

'The Fates?' Hades repeated. 'What are they coming for?' Persephone shrugged.

'I dunno, but they were quite insistent on seeing us both.' She suddenly looked firm and began pushing him towards the stairs to their private quarters. 'Now go get ready!'

'Ok, ok, I'm going. Heh… y'know, I like this forceful side of you. It's kinda kinky.' Hades said in a playful voice and turning around as he reached the stairs. He leered at his young girlfriend who blushed a slightly peachy tone.

'Hades, knock it off.' She said coyly making his leer widen. In his opinion Persephone always looked cute when she blushed, it reminded him of how innocent she really was.

'Ah, I'm just messin' with ya babe.' Hades smirked at her then hooked her chin, tilting her beautiful face to him the god ran a thumb over her cheek. They started kissing once more but after a few minutes Persephone pulled away.

'Ok mister, you have to go now.' She said smirking at Hades.

'Ah, ya can't blame a god for tryin'.' He smirked then turned to go up the stairs.

'Quit stalling!' Persephone shot forcefully at him and slapped his butt to make him move. Unfortunately it didn't have the desired affect as Hades turned back around amused.

'Ooh baby, your sucha tease!' He said in a husky voice then smirked at her before vanishing on the spot for a shower.

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By the time Hades reappeared in the throne room Persephone and the Fates were chatting amiably between themselves.

'Of course I always knew you'd come down here, that's how I intended it.' Atropos was smugly saying to Persephone who blinked unsure how to answer.

'Oh here she goes again!' Lachesis rolled their only eye in her socket before it suddenly swivelled and rested on the god who'd just arrived. 'Hades! Haven't you managed to control that beast of yours yet? He nearly had the eye on our way in.'

'I'm working on it.' Hades brushed her words away. 'So Lachesis, long time no see huh?' The middle Fate giggled making her sisters look on disapprovingly as Persephone blinked confused.

'Oh don't worry dear.' Clotho said to Persephone still frowning at the scene. 'The only thing Hades ever wants from us is our eye.'

'Your eye?' Persephone repeated vaguely looking round surprised.

'The Eye of Fate sees all.' Atropos added smiling at the goddess. 'Lachesis on the other hand…' She sighed dispassionately turning back to her sister.

'-you honestly look like a Fate worse than death.' Hades was still trying to charm her and Lachesis blushed.

'How many times does she have to fall for _that_ line?' Clotho frowned then strode over to the pair. 'I'll take _that_-' Clotho snatched the eye off her sister. '-if you don't mind!' She finished her sentence while placing the eye in her socket.

'Lachesis always had a soft spot for Hades but Clotho is harder to crack.' Atropos nudged Persephone grinning a sly toothy grin. The goddess giggled amused as Hades frowned irritated, his eyes followed the blue-skinned Fate as she ran the eye over the table.

'At least you didn't prepare the spread this time.' Clotho shot at Hades who blinked then frowned deeper. 'It looks edible for once.'

'Hey! There is nothing wrong with my cooking!' The god shot back at her. Atropos smirked with amusement.

'Coming from the only god in the cosmos who eats worms.' Clotho sniffed causing Persephone to suddenly snort with laughter.

'_Worms_!' She pulled a face. 'Ewww… how gross is that?'

'Don't knock 'em 'til ya try 'em babe.' Hades said lightly turning to his missus.

'Uh, no… I'll leave them to you.' She brushed passed Hades and began pouring out the tea for the Fates who had taken their seats.

'Suit yourself.' Hades said picking up his own cup and taking a seat in his own high backed chair at the end of the long table. Persephone offered the Fates some of her brownies before heading for her seat. At this point Hades stretched out wrapping two smoky arms around her waist and pulled the goddess into his own lap. Rather than fight him Persephone made herself comfortable before taking a sip of her own tea then smiling. Hades on the other hand looked on bored as Persephone and the Fates began chatting eagerly.

'It's nice to finally meet you three,' Persephone was saying. '-everybody tells me so much about you… Do you mind if I ask some thing?' The Fates merely smiled in response. 'Doesn't life get a bit predictable when you know how it's going to turn out?'

'That's the beauty of free will my dear!' Clotho said grinning widely. 'It's never boring!'

'It's not?' Persephone blinked surprised.

'No.' Lachesis chipped in setting her cup down in it's saucer. 'There are many infinite choices in life, it's up to you how you choose to live it… we merely proved the means to choose them.'

'So… you don't know everything?' Persephone asked gently.

'Of course we do.' Atropos responded instantly. 'Some just surprise us with their choices while others remain, as you so brilliantly put it… _predictable_.' She gave Hades a meaningful look at this point and the god frowned at her.

'Don't even get me started on _predictions _Atropos.' He said darkly before sliding a startled Persephone off of his lap into his seat and getting to his feet. 'More tea ladies?' He suddenly smiled at them and all three nodded vigorously as he poured them all a fresh cup. Persephone who still had half a cup refused a refill but wondered why her other half had suddenly switched on the charm. What could he possibly want the eye for?

'Be a dear and pass me another brownie.' Atropos said and Persephone passed the plate over to the shortest Fate who took one from it. Hades who'd been prowling behind the three Fates thinking suddenly turned smiling to Clotho.

'Y'know, since you three take great pleasure in using me to meet your own ends-' He said in a jaunty tone which made Clotho eye him warily while Persephone watched wide-eyed with anticipation. '-I think you three owe me.' The Lord of the Underworld flashed a snake like leer at the blue Fate who glared at him.

'We don't owe you squat!' She hissed at him.

'Aww c'mon…' Hades drawled leaning into her still smiling the same twisted smirk. 'Just on _little_-' He slapped Clotho on the back and the Eye of Fate popped out into his other hand. '-peep into the future.' He finished straightening and smirking wider. Atropos finished chewing her brownie before turning to Persephone.

'Told you he only wanted us for our eye.' She smiled and the goddess whipped around to her other half who was eyeing the eyeball with frustration.

'Hello… how do you get this thing to work?' He was saying while shaking it.

'Hades!' Persephone hissed. 'Give it back!'

'Just a sec baby.' Hades responded vaguely to her words before concentrating on the eyeball again.

'C'mon girls… let's get it back before they sees something their not ment to!' Lachesis said firmly and all three Fates leapt out of their seats and jumped on Hades who cried out in shock. The three of them began to wrestle with the gods tight grip of their beloved eye. Persephone merely watched the scene amazed; one sister had Hades' free arm held firm behind his back while the other two pried his fingers open. The god made a sudden jerking motion and the eye flew into the air hurtling towards Persephone who caught it. As soon as the warm slimy eyeball landed in her hands it turned a bright shade of blue causing Hades and the three Fates to instantly freeze and turn to the goddess.

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From the blue light of the glowing orb a scene bubbled forth filling the room. _Two figures stood in a woody area. One was a younger Persephone dressed in light flowing robes of green, her blonde hair was braided at the front with daisies twirled through it. She was smiling at the tall mortal man before her who too had blonde hair and a blue circlet on that matched his piercing blue eyes. He had a tanned and muscled body wrapped in a tight and revealing toga. He was stroking Persephone's pale cheek as he spoke soft words._

'_My dearest Persephone… no mortal could ever match your beauty.'_

'_Do you mean it Adonis?' Was the young goddess' response and the mortal smiled back._

'_Of course my sweet flower, I am the Prince of Thrace and there is no-one I'd rather be with now.'_

Hades glared at the scene feeling a twinge of jealousy before pulling a sickened face.

'Oy, I think I wanna hurl.' He said dispassionately. The scene vanished into a swirl as a new scene appeared. _Persephone was sat in her grove crying as Hermes was trying to sooth her._

'_Forget Adonis babe, he's a jerk… you'll find someone better.'_

'_He dumped me Hermes!' The goddess suddenly stood up scowling darkly at the god. 'He dumped me for a freakin' mortal! What do you want me to do huh?' She was close to tears now. 'Stand back and let him insult me? Sorry Hermes! That's not going to happen, now get out of my way!' She pushed past Hermes who blinked before following her._

'_Seph, what are you going to do?' He said in a terrified tone looking at the furious goddess who's aura was pulsing dangerously._

'_I'm going to kill him… I'm gong to kill that no good lying Prince of Thrace!!' Persephone screamed startling the god before vanishing in a swirl of orbs._

The scene changed again and Hades raised a brow. This was getting interesting.

_An angry boar who seemed hell bent on goring his target shot out of the bushes while Adonis and his body guards were out in a sparsely wooded area. Knocking his guards off their feet the boar gouged away at the prince's flesh. He dropped to the ground screaming in agony, a mortal girl in a purple dress flashed into view. She had long dark wavy hair tied back with a red band. Her amethyst eyes clouded over in anguish as she watched her beloved prince bleed on the ground._

_The boar suddenly stopped and blinked several times as though coming out of a trance; it made a squealing sound and shot off into the nearest bush. The boar brushed past a figure standing nearby watching the scene with a smile on her ruby painted lips._

_The mortal girl dropped to her knees and was trying to stem the blood flow while weeping._

'_Adonis, don't leave me!' She screeched as the body guards looked on in horror at there dying prince. 'Don't just stand there! Get help!' The mortal girl screamed bringing them back and they shot out of the scene._

'_My sweet little nut-Meg-' Adonis coughed and the girl called Meg ran a finger over his cheek._

'_No, don't talk Adonis… you'll be fine.' Her voice was shaking as the tears rolled down her face. Suddenly a voice rang out in the clearing but the two mortals couldn't hear it._

'_Oh Cora… come on sweetheart we don't want to be late for Heista's birthday party!' The hooded figure watching the scene sighed heavily._

'_Of all the times to summon me.' She breathed harshly choosing to ignore the summon._

'_Cora… Cora where are you?!' The voice came more persistently._

'_For the love of Rhea mother!' The hooded figure breathed irritated. 'Can't you just call me Persephone!' Without another word the goddess vanished in a swirl of orbs._

'Does this look familiar Hades?' Clotho asked the god who shrugged vaguely. Some girl crying over her dead boyfriend wasn't anything new to him.

'_Awww, I hate seein' chicks cry.' _Hades' eyes widened with horror as a new figure appeared where the hooded goddess had just left. It was none other himself. Glancing at Persephone the god noticed that she was speechless, gazing in shock at his arrival.

_The mortal girl Meg looked the new arrival up and down through watery eyes taking in his bizarre and truly terrifying appearance._

'_Hu- Who are you?' She asked in a timid tone and the god smiled a twisted leer._

'_The names Hades, Lord of the Dead… your boyfriend is dying.' He added casually as though he'd just commented on the weather._

'_Tell me something I don't know!' Meg shot at the god wiping the tears from her face glaring irritably at him._

'_I can bring him back.' Hades said and Meg blinked._

'_You can?' She said looking unsure._

'_Of course but there is a price… ya don't get something for nothing y'know.' Hades said deviously and the mortal girl looked nervous._

'_What do you want?' Meg asked sounding braver than she looked. 'I'll give anything!'_

'_Well, like the expression says an eye for an eye babe… or in this case, a soul for a soul.' The god's eyes narrowed slyly._

'_My soul?' Meg repeated looking hesitant and Hades sighed._

'_Hey! I ain't got all day, neither does your boyfriend! Do ya want him back or not?!' Hades shot at Meg who glanced back at Adonis who was barely breathing and as white as a ghost._

'_Ok, ok… you can have my soul.' She sighed irritably as Hades made a 'get in' arm gesture while his blue flames shot upwards a foot._

'_And we've got a deal!' Hades grasped her wrist tightly and the girl dropped to her knees with shock as a bright light surrounded her._

The scene dissolved and the Fate nearest Persephone took the eye back off of her.

'You weren't ment to see that.' Lachesis' voice hardly registered with the goddess. She was trying to digest the truth. Adonis was alive? Her heart tightened in her chest making it hard to breath as a tear rolled down her cheek. Her ex boyfriend was alive, because her current boyfriend had brought him back from the dead. She felt like Hades had just betrayed her, it felt like her heart was breaking in two. Persephone finally moved as the Fates vanished on the spot. She stood up gazing around the room and found Hades looking at her with a pained expression.

'Seph… that was two years ago, I.. I never knew you.' He said in a persuasive tone that fell on deaf ears as the goddess glared at him.

'Save it!!' She screeched her long hair suddenly billowed into bright golden flames as her green eyes narrowed into slits of loathing. Hades blinked surprised then flashed a nervous grin. If she was anything like him, this wasn't going to be pretty.

'Baby-' He started but was cut off.

'_Don't call me baby_!!' She screamed and the luminous flames flickered violently swirling around her like rays of sunshine. She then stabbed an accusing finger towards Hades who flinched uneasily. 'You… brought him back.' Her voice was low and dangerously quiet while angry tears ran down her face. 'I never thought I'd say this Hades-' She took a deep breath before yelling, '_I hate you!!_' For a moment Hades merely looked stunned as her words hurt him. Persephone was shaking now, for a breif moment she looked apologetic, then she scowled before vanishing into a swirl of orbs leaving Hades alone.

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Little Notes:

First of all, congratulations to everybody who figured out the whole Persephone/Adonis/Meg love triangle! This was an easy storyline to write I must admit (my thanks go to the writers of Disney's Hercules for making it so easy). Of course originally it was Aphrodite who is Persephone's rival for Adonis but in the film Meg was dumped for another woman, then in the series we find out she went on a date with Adonis and was trying to forget the tanned Prince of Thrace. Push these factors together and we have ourselves a basic storyline.

Hope you liked my little twist of Persephone leaving the scene just before Hades arrives to make the deal with Meg. This is a crucial twist in a simple storyline, Persephone and Hades have been very close. I basically wanted to push them apart. The best way to do this was to introduce the fact that Persephone's ex was alive and Hades is the reason why. Persephone was severely hurt by Adonis who left her, as a result Persephone adopts a very cruel and cold front by trying to end his life. I wanted to show that Persephone was not always sweet and girly before she met Hades.

Lastly, let's discuss the Fates. These three ladies were the most important factor of this chapter, hence why they are the subject of the chapter title. Of course Hades and the Fates relationship was always based on predictions so I had him pestering them for a peep into the future. (I don't know what for… maybe he wanted to see how things were going to turn out with Persephone?) Of course it ends in a struggle leading to a rather nifty flash back into the past which causes Persephone get mad with Hades… and what happens when Persephone gets mad? Her hair turns to flames… no wonder those ladies made a sharp exit!

Thanks to everybody who's read this story, I may not get reviews but I'm gonna take that as a complement… you guys must **really** like my story if you've got nothing to say… LOL take care everybody, your all little stars big MmmMwha Ditzy xXx


	16. Don't mind me, I'm just the Messenger

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Sixteen:**____**Don't mind me,,, I'm just the Messenger**_

It had been two weeks since the official start of spring and things were perking up. Demeter it seemed had calmed herself as the first tiny buds of the season poked their way through the sterile soil. The deities breathed a sigh of relief as things seemed to be getting back to normal. Cupid and Aphrodite moved out with the mass of cherubs behind them spreading love and cheer through Greece. They'd had to tighten their work schedules as Demeter's late response to initiating spring ment that the two Love deities were now way behind their targets.

The only worrying thing was the Nature Goddess had not returned to Olympus once spring was in effect. This concerned Zeus greatly. Was she still mad because he refused to carry on the search? Demeter had never been one to hold a grudge before but there was a first time for everything. He was also concerned about Persephone. Where was the stubborn little brat hiding? Zeus had come to the conclusion that the Age of Consent should be reviewed; clearly Persephone wasn't mature enough to be allowed adult rights.

These weren't the only things the Lord of Olympus was concerned about; there was also Hera and Heista. All the daughter's of Rhea had been strictly family orientated goddesses. They loved having their family close by, but with their middle sister gone the other two seemed lost. Hera moped aimlessly around their cloud home. She would smile when she heard somebody approach her but it would vanish instantly when the Queen of the Gods realised it wasn't Demeter. Nothing Zeus said could rose his wife from her depression, eventually he gave up leaving her to it.

Heista on the other hand kept herself busy; baking delicious treats, cleaning furiously and fussing over deities. She seemed more together than her youngest sister but deep down the Goddess of Hearth was just trying to fill the void.

Zeus felt it was time for something to be done to raise moral. After thinking briefly the god smiled then glanced around for the god he needed.

'Hermes! Get over here!' The Lord of Olympus called and with a flash of blue the Messenger God appeared. He flashed a cheery smile at Zeus clearly glad not everybody was depressed.

'Heya big guy, you won't believe the rumours that are goin' round the surface these days.' Hermes said in a jaunty tone. 'Apparently the H-man has himself a missus-'

'-Hah! Is that right?' Zeus snorted with amusement at the idea of a girl in the Underworld. 'Why, the last time I suggested Hades settle down he told me to go see a doctor... thought I was coming down with something out of Pandora's box.'

'Yeh I thought it was a little too nutty when I heard it too… but hey, those cats down there believe anything you put on crockery these days.' Hermes responded cheerily. 'So… what is it I can do for ya chief?'

'Hermes… I want you to track down Demeter. Find out what is keeping her away from Olympus and tell her that her sisters are worried about her. It's time she returned home.' The Messenger God blinked surprised at these words but knew better than to question Zeus.

'Uh, sure thing buddy.' Hermes grinned and shot down from the cloud.

The moment Hermes was out of Olympus his smile vanished and was replaced by an anxious look. Track down Demeter? This was easier said than done. The Nature Goddess had been wandering the Earth for nearly seven weeks. He wasn't even sure how he was supposed to recognise her if she'd decided to take human form and hide amongst the mortals. He smiled as he flew over the Sicilian meadows. Definitely time to see what the goddess' local nymphs knew.

After a breif chat Hermes waved the nymphs off suddenly feeling more optimistic about his search. According to the nymphs Demeter had settled in Eluesis, a small town on the edge of Greece. She'd been wandering for the first few weeks without a break. She'd grown quite a following apparently; the Sirens were searching from the skies and Pan the king of satyrs had joined Demeter in her quest to find her daughter. He'd decreed that every satyr must do their bit to help the goddess out. The nymphs from Sicily who'd known Persephone best had rallied their families and friends to help out as well. As Hermes flew in the direction of Eluesis he spotted a very familiar sight.

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'Remind me why we're flying aimlessly around?' Phil grumbled for the umpteenth time making Hercules roll his eyes affectionately at the old satyr.

'Because Pan made a decree and your mother nagged you to join the search.' The young hero replied airily.

'Ok, I get that part… but why are you helping out?' Phil said. 'Didn't daddy Zeus say that the search was pointless?'

'He did… but you aren't complaining are you?' Hercules asked smirking at his trainer as Pegasus made a snorting noise of amusement. 'At least this way you don't have to walk everywhere.'

'I guess… but what about Meg?' Phil suddenly looked sly. 'She can't have been pleased about being ditched again.'

'She doesn't mind… she likes helping out Pa with the sheep. She can't get enough of them, especially now the lambs are here. She thinks they're cute.'

'Oy.' Sighed Phil. 'What is it with women and baby animals? Just chuck one in their face and they make with the goo-goo eyes.' Hercules smiled at his coach before turning around to check the area below them.

'Heya cats… how's the search coming?!' A loud jaunty voice made both Hercules and Phil jump while Pegasus whinnied in shock. Phil turned and glared at the blue god.

'Whatta ya tryin' to do? Gimmie a heart attack or somethin'?'

'Whoa… hey, didn't mean to scare ya buddy, just passing through and thought I'd say hi.' Hermes said cheerily holding his hands up in a form of defeat.

'There ya said it now beat it, your puttin' the kid off his search.' Phil said in a surly tone making Hermes blink before turning to Hercules.

'Oh kay, what's with the grouch?' The hero smirked before replying.

'Don't mind him, he's just ticked off by the latest decree from Pan-'

'Ahhh! I heard about that! Pan wants all the satyrs to help Demeter find Persephone… no offence guys but if we gods couldn't find her, you guys probably won't either.' Hermes said waving his hand dismissively still grinning widely.

'See!' Phil suddenly grinned at Hercules. 'That's what I've been saying!' He turned back to Hermes adding, 'But you know Pan, he's trying to suck up to Demeter… get in her good books.'

'Uh huh, well that's where I'm headed now, heard Demeter's taken up residency in Eluesis… know anything about the place?' Hermes asked the satyr.

'Not much.' Phil shrugged. 'Apparently it's a nice little place… got a great bar where the nymphs are real friendly, if you catch my drift.' The satyr slyly wiggled his brows to Hermes who grinned while Hercules looked on completely bemused.

'Heh, might check that out on my way back bud. Thanks for the tip.' Hermes winked at the satyr.

'Wait… Demeter is in Eluesis?' Hercules asked and Hermes turned to him smiling.

'That's what word on the street is… Zeus wants me to try and coax her home.'

'Good luck… last we heard the goddess was not returning to Olympus without her daughter.' Phil said in an amused tone.

'Yeh, apparently she said; 'Olympus could go to Tartarus for all she cared.'' Hercules said making Hermes raise his eyebrows in concern. 'I don't know if she really ment it though.' The hero added at the god's expression.

'Well… hopefully she's calmed down slightly, I'll letcha know how it goes. Catch ya later cats.' Hermes said cheerfully before shooting off as Hercules and Phil waved him off.

'He's no chance.' Phil smirked at Hercules.

'It can't hurt to try.' The hero shrugged. 'Can it?' Phil merely made an 'I dunno' noise in response.

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It was nightfall before the Messenger God reached his destination. Eluesis was pretty picturesque; nestled in a valley with lots of lush green open space, a windy river and a few trees to add character. Definitely Demeter's kind of place, it had plenty of F.P. as the goddess would say; this stood for Farming Potential. The only problem was Demeter didn't seem to be tending to anything, the goddess could usually be found ankle deep in mud planting crops and amiably chatting to farmers but the land looked untouched… what had the goddess been doing here?

Hermes flew through the quiet streets looking around for any statues and alters for the goddess but found nothing, there was absolutely nothing that suggested the goddess was living here. After a moment Hermes wondered if he'd come to the wrong town. He was just about to call it a night when he heard a familiar voice singing softly.

'Hush little darling don't you see, just how great a god you'd be… so little baby don't feel blue, I'll be watching over you-' The blue god's head twitched around listening to the heavenly voice of Demeter then followed the sound. Her voice led him to a large house that was completely blacked out apart from one window with a balcony. The goddess had stopped singing now and was sitting beside a glowing fire with a contented smile. Hermes watched unsurely for a moment, she looked happier than she had done for months.

'Why do I always get these jobs?' Hermes sighed before knocking on the archway. Demeter spun around looking surprised to see the god floating there. After a moment she beamed at him.

'Hermes… how nice to see you.' She breathed softly getting to her feet and scooping the god into a bone-crunching hug before quickly letting go.

'Demeter, babe… what are you doing here?' Hermes flustered. 'Everybody's been worried sick-'

'Shhh!' Demeter scowled pushing her finger to her lips. 'You'll wake the baby.'

'The what-?' Hermes repeated bemused and Demeter led him into the room and over to a small bed that the god hadn't noticed before. Wrapped loosely in some blankets was a tiny baby fast asleep. Hermes blinked surprised then gazed open-mouthed at Demeter.

'Wow… well, I guess congarts are in order Demeter. I didn't even know you were pregnant.' Hermes said and the Nature Goddess chuckled good-naturedly.

'No, no Hermes… he's not mine dear.' Demeter waved a small chubby hand before continuing. 'He's the son of the mortals here, I'm only wet-nursing him until he gets better.'

'But why?' Hermes responded after a moment of trying to figure out what wet-nursing ment. He had no idea what it was but it didn't sound appealing.

'It's nice to feel needed.' Demeter said softly running a thumb over the baby's smooth cheek. The child stirred and smiled softly before drifting off again. 'Oh, I remember when Cora was this tiny.' The Nature Goddess sighed heavily before smiling sadly. 'Where does the time go?'

'But what about your job, your family.' Hermes asked her worried but Demeter waved him off.

'They can cope without me… besides I can do the seasons perfectly well from here.' The goddess said cheerily taking a baby bottle and putting it in a pan of water before warming it on the fire.

'Uh, Demeter… I gotta tell ya, Zeus wants you to come home.' Hermes spoke softly. For a moment the Nature Goddess remained silent.

'Zeus wants a lot of things.' Her voice was so soft it was barely audible over the crackling of the fire. Moving closer Hermes noticed the goddess looked sadly into the flames.

'Honey, are you ok?' He eventually asked and Demeter wiped away a tear that was just starting to form.

'I can't come home Hermes… not until I know my daughter is safe.' She turned to the god with her cornflower blue eyes shining brightly in the flame light. 'You understand that, don't you?'

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Little Notes:

Hey Everybody!! Thank you for the reviews and please keep telling me your opinions because they mean a lot to me…

Ok, this is definitely a Hermes chapter with the chirpy blue god searching out Demeter. Naturally since Hermes is the basic god of communications it would make sense that he hears loads of gossip, and word that Hades has a new squeeze was bound to leak out of the Underworld. How could anybody keep that juicy piece of news to themselves?! Of course I didn't want the gods to figure out the truth too quickly so Persephone's identity is kept hidden and naturally Hermes disregards the news as nonsense… as does Zeus.

Of course the search for Persephone has resumed with Demeter recruiting nature spirits and the Sirens to help as she did in the myths. Since this is the cause… I brought in Phil who is searching with Hercules (clearly he doesn't want to give up the search just yet).

Just so you know… Demeter's lullaby is to the tune of that 'Mocking Bird' lullaby (I don't know it's title but you know the one I mean right?) and of course she's still grieving for her lost daughter when the blue god eventually finds her.

Take care peeps…. Be back soon with more, until then enjoy… MmmMwha Ditzy xXx


	17. How hard can Schmoozing a Goddess be?

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Seventeen:**____**How hard can Schmoozing a Goddess be?**_

Despite her angry words Persephone refused to go crawling back to her mother and persevered with her job in the Underworld. To a certain flame-haired god this was a positive sign and it gave him the hope that they could still patch up their differences. After much thought Hades decided the best way to win over his little 'Sephy-kins' was to wow her with a big romantic gesture. There was only one problem… big romantic gestures were a completely foreign concept to the big bad Lord of the Underworld. However for her, he was willing to give it a shot.

First Hades offered her some chocolates. This was fine until Persephone opened the box and found out the candy was actually moving. When the goddess enquired as to why this was the case a jaunty Hades informed her they were chocolate covered maggots. A disgusted Persephone shoved the candy in the face of a shocked Hades before storming off.

Undeterred Hades decided to surprise Persephone with a new breed of flower. The god knew she'd always had a soft spot for interesting plants. This proved tricky as he didn't know the first thing about growing plants. After going to the surface for some advice from Gaia, who was thrilled the god had finally found love, Hades returned with a rather large and impressive bunch of deep indigo flowers with bright pink centres. Sadly, the imps caught sight of their boss first. The moment they saw Hades holding the large beautiful flowers both imps fell into hysterics laughing at how stupid he looked with them. Momentarily forgetting what he was there for Hades seethed turning a murderous shade of red; this caused the flowers to turn to ash. When Persephone finally appeared on the docks to resume her duties she was greeted by a severely enraged Hades throttling Pain and Panic; not the surprise he was going for.

For his next move Hades decided to stick with what he knew best and created a new disease to entertain Persephone with. After much consideration he finally named it using the goddess' Roman title. When he finally presented it to the goddess she scowled before vanishing in a swirl of orbs offended. Personally Hades couldn't see what the problem was; Proserpine sounded like one nasty disease… now it _really_ was one.

Persephone remained distant with Hades and as time passed he grew more and more despondent without her company. After a week of brooding the god decided it was time to swallow his pride and ask the young goddess how he could make it up to her. His spirits sank even further as he arrived by the docks to find the imps in Persephone's place.

'What are you two doing here?' He asked irritably wondering where his girlfriend had gone now.

'Miss Persephone asked us to cover for her while she went to the surface.' Panic responded nervously to a stunned Hades.

'The surface?!' The god's eyes widened in horror.

'She said she needed time away to think.' Pain answered his unasked question softly as Panic eyed his boss anxiously. Hades blinked digesting this with a sinking feeling.

'D-did she say when she'd be back?' He finally choked out surprising both Pain and Panic who glanced guiltily at each other before eventually shaking their heads.

'Oh.' Hades eventually intoned softly after a few moments of gazing forlornly out at the Styx. He watched several souls slowly drift by under the pearly blue waters before sighing heavily and turned. As Hades walked back up towards the palace his legs felt oddly detached, almost as though they moved of their own accord. Persephone had left the Underworld. That wasn't what stabbed his feelings… she'd left many times for the surface before. What hurt was the fact that she'd left it to the imps to tell him instead of telling him herself.

'Hey boss.' Panic said making the gloomy god turn to him. 'You feeling ok?'

'Yeh,' Chipped in Pain. '-you haven't been this down since you re-emerged from-'

'Don't even mention _that_!!' Hades snapped suddenly flaring orange and glaring at the two imps. The last thing he needed reminding of was his involuntary trip into the Vortex of Fire. It might have been eight months ago but thanks to that nasty experience Hades no longer knew what a decent nights sleep was; his was constantly broken with unconscious memories of what happened down in the swirling fiery whirlpool. As a result every time he woke up he found himself in a cold sweat and clutching the bed sheets in horror. Persephone of course knew nothing of this… the last thing he wanted was to look like a yutz in front of her.

Both imps instantly transformed into large blubbering worms as Hades prepared to flambé them to a blackened crisp as he usually did when they mentioned this little excursion.

'Ahh, forget it…' Hades sighed and returned to blue. 'I'm not in the mood.' Both imps blinked in amazement as the god snuffed the two fireballs that he'd brought forth then vanished in a curl of smoke.

'Wow… he must be really down.' Panic sighed pityingly.

'Either that or sick.' Pain suggested as Charon's boat appeared on the Styx horizon.

'Uhh, I hope not…' Panic shook with disgust then began writing notes on his clipboard.

* * *

It was late n the afternoon as Persephone wandered slowly through her grove on Sicily. This was the place where everything had started… the place where she had first spoke to Hades. This place was also her only sanctuary and the familiar thick coverage of trees sheltered her presence like a comfort blanket. As the young goddess walked further into the grove she began to think about the events of the past few weeks. Hades had been nothing but the perfect boyfriend, odd really considering his reputation suggested he'd be otherwise… perhaps that was why he'd been single for so long. Persephone wished that she could just forgive Hades for his little error, it was hardly his fault, he didn't even know who Persephone was when he'd brought her ex-boyfriend back from the dead. He just saw a business opportunity, the fact that he was going to hurt his future girlfriend didn't even come into it. Well, it did sound ridiculous the more Persephone thought about it. But if it was so ridiculous, why did she still feel like she'd just had her heart smashed to tiny bits?

The young goddess slid down her favourite willow tree and nestled cross-legged in the soft mossy ground at it's roots. She felt a tear slide slowly down her cheek. She was so desperate for things to be back the way they had been with Hades… how simple their relationship had been without the complication of Adonis. They had just been two gods madly in love… Hades still loved her; he'd spent the last week trying his hardest to win her back but Persephone had rebuffed him. Every other god in the cosmos had undermined her; they all saw her as Cora, the delicate little flower of Demeter who was too young to understand the ways of the world. She'd been talked down to, denied her adult rights because the other gods felt she was too young to handle them but Hades had always treated her differently. To him she was a smart, independent goddess who's opinion always mattered to him, even if it was something he didn't like hearing…

Persephone sniffed as more tears fell down her cheeks. Hades didn't deserve to be given the harsh cold shoulder she'd been giving him recently… he'd already been shunned by the rest of the god squad for what he'd done with the Titans nearly eight months ago. She couldn't hate him… she still loved him. The young goddess sighed heavily and wiped her wet cheeks, she was now blotchy from crying and if she cried anymore she'd get the hiccups. Perhaps she should return to the Underworld, find Hades and apologise for being so cold with him… maybe they could still pick up their relationship from the point before the Fates dropped that nasty shock on her. Just as the young goddess was thinking this a soft voice came from beside her.

'Please don't cry Seph.' Looking up startled Persephone blinked through watery eyelashes at her flame-hared boyfriend who was leaning against the willow. His face was full of concern.

'Hades…' Persephone tailed off with amazement and relief. 'How did you know where to find me?' The Lord of the Underworld raised a brow amused at her.

'Well I wouldn't be much of a boyfriend if I couldn't find ya babes.' He smiled momentarily before looking slightly nervous again. 'Look, I know that somehow this is all my fault so-'

'No!' Persephone suddenly yelped startling Hades into silence. The goddess blushed a peachy tone. 'I mean… It's not you Hades-' She broke off sighing then patted the ground beside her. '-come sit here a minute, we need to talk sweetie.' Hades sighed then dropped onto the mossy ground next to Persephone looking wary.

'I hate it when people say that… usually means somethin' bad.' He spoke unenthusiastically then smiled expectantly at Persephone. She looked back slightly nervous then pushed her golden hair back off her face.

'I've been really unfair to you lately… I… I guess I overacted to what I saw in the Fate's eye-'

'Seph… you didn't-' Hades cut her off before Persephone spoke over him.

'Hades _please_!! Let me finish ok?' She scowled slightly before instantly softening and running her dainty white fingers over Hades' cheek. 'What I'm trying to say is… I'm sorry, can you forgive me?'

The Lord of the Underworld blinked in amazement at his pale kindly smiling girlfriend who was still caressing his cheek with her incredibly soft fingers. Taking her tiny fingers gently in his own large ones he smiled at her.

'For what it's worth baby, I'm sorry too…I uh, I'm not gonna make some dumb promise that I won't hurt ya-' Hades snorted with momentary amusement. '-Heh, I'm a guy honey… I'll probably hurt ya-' A crease appeared between Persephone's brow and the god swallowed nervously, perhaps not the wisest thing to say at that moment.

'What I mean is… if I do hurt ya, it ain't intentional babe.' He sighed as Persephone raised an unimpressed eyebrow. Well, he'd gone this far… he might as well go the rest. 'Seph… I love ya… and I uh, don't wanna loose ya cause of somethin' that happened three years ago…' Hades tailed off suddenly feeling very uncomfortable and exposed. He dropped his gaze as a pinky blush covered his cheeks. He concentrated all his energy on their entwined fingers, stroking the back of her hands with his thumbs. Her white slender ones entwined in his bony bluish-grey ones… not only did it look right, it also felt right, like they belonged together.

Persephone blinked amazed at how honest Hades was being with her. She knew how he felt about her but hearing the words from the god's own mouth still rendered her momentarily speechless. The young goddess felt the familiar feeling of butterflies in her tummy and smiled a small smile at his blush. She'd never seen him so uncomfortable before but she found it very endearing, clearly he was also in unfamiliar territory.

'Oh Hades…' She sighed clutching his fingers tighter. 'I've always loved you.' She whispered the words while gazing at him with a tender look.

Hades raised his head in disbelief gazing stunned at her. He felt an instant sense of relief… she still loved him, it seemed almost unreal in a sense.

'Really?' He asked breathlessly in a slightly bewildered tone and stupidly praying this wasn't a joke. Persephone closed her eyes momentarily nodding gently. Hades' flames suddenly grew a foot and turned a brilliantly pale blue while spreading over his shoulders. Grinning moronically he gripped an amazed Persephone tightly and pulled her roughly into a passionate embrace. She responded to his deep kiss instantly sliding her fingers around his neck and up into his flaming hair. Prying her lips gently apart the kiss grew more hungry as their tongues danced. The young goddess let out a sigh of pleasure and her fingers tensed slightly before twirling idly in his flames. Taking this as a positive sign Hades thrust his tongue deeper, probing her mouth keenly. He hadn't kissed her like this since the imps had brought them together by the pool of Lethe nearly three months ago but it had been worth the long wait. Right now Hades couldn't have been happier… Persephone was sat in his lap, writhing and sighing with pleasure, what more could he possibly want?

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey, everybody!!! Sorry it's been a little longer than usual but I've been busy decorating my bedroom so time's been very limited for writing or posting, thank you anonymous for your review, glad your enjoying the story so far… mmwha xXx

Ok, so this chapter is all about Hades trying to win Persephone back… with disastrous results. The whole thing of the disease named Proserpine (Pro-ser-pee-nee-ya… for those who don't know how it's pronounced) reflects my personal view of the Roman title… to me it does sound like a sickness, however I do not see how naming a deadly virus after your girlfriend is ment to win her around… sorry Hades, that's just my view.

Here I'm also bringing back more on how totally screwed in the head Hades is after his little trip in the Vortex of Fire… it's one of those carrying themes through out the story and… I think it gives Hades a little more depth to show his fears…

Uhh… isn't this chapter just sickeningly nice at the end?? Don't worry people! This is not the end of the Adonis Debate… he will be back!!

Thanks for reading and keep watching this space… big MmmMwha Ditzy xXx


	18. My fair Hades, from Tartarus with Love

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Eighteen:**____**My fair Hades… from Tartarus with Love**_

After a long heart to heart under the willow tree Persephone felt much closer to Hades than she had been before. They were entwined together under the large willow which sheltered them perfectly from the waning afternoon sun.

'We should probably go home,' Persephone sighed eventually pulling her head off of Hades' shoulder where she'd been settled for the last little while. '-the imps are probably wondering where we are.' Hades who'd been dozing against the willow opened one eye slightly.

'I've a better idea…' He smirked closing his eye again and slouching into a more comfortable position. '-why don'tcha just shuddup and gimmie a kiss.' Persephone snorted with a mixture of amusement and amazement.

'Hah! What do you think this is… the Titan Age?' She snickered then continued, 'Next you'll have me over your shoulder then drag me back to the Underworld where you'll have your wicked way with me.' Hades' eyes snapped open at these words. For a moment he merely gazed stunned at the young goddess, then suddenly a perverse leer twisted on his lips and a wicked gleam flashed in his golden eyes.

'Oh-hoh! Fancy a bit of rough do we?' The sudden lust-filled look clouded in his eyes made Persephone edge out of his lap slowly…

'Um, Hades,' She giggled nervously as the god's eyes narrowed following her movement. '-you do know I was kidding right?'

'Too late dollface.' Hades growled seductively then lunged for Persephone who dodged him easily. Giggling at the incredulous look on his face she smirked then got to her feet and ran away down to the small spring in the middle of the clearing. Hades smirked as he watched the goddess run off; she moved like a nymph. Persephone really did want him to work for it… but there was always an easy way out. Hades suddenly vanished from sight with a devious leer. Persephone stopped and turned around two moments after Hades had disappeared… she looked around bewildered wondering where he'd gone.

'Hades?' She asked the empty grove tentatively. The sun was setting in the sky behind her and the grove was growing dark, the star flowers were slowly opening and spreading their pale twinkling glow around the clearing… but there was still no sign of Hades. The grove was eerily quiet. A sudden rustle of leaves made the startled young goddess jump and spin around in the direction it came from… still nothing. She put a dainty white hand to her rapidly beating heart… this was starting to creep her out.

'Ok, if you think this is scoring you points your sadly mistaken.' She said in a shaky voice, her green eyes were wide and darted around the clearing anxiously. Persephone walked backwards slowly not liking this one bit… it was almost like something out of a slasher play. The next second a pair of arms swept her off the ground.

Persephone shut her eyes and screamed out in a mixture of surprise and terror.

'Sheesh babe, could ya scream any louder? I think the guys on Olympus didn't quite catch that.' A low familiar voice chuckled making her suddenly open her eyes.

'_Hades_!' She hissed crossly at the god who had her draped over his right shoulder while supporting her bottom.

'That's ma name babe.' He smirked.

'Put me down… this is _not_ _funny_!' Persephone threw him an irritated glare at the back of his flaming head.

'Oh… I think ya know how this is gonna play out Sephy-kins.' Hades leered at the young goddess' rear and gripping her tightly. Persephone blinked.

'Oh my god…' She groaned inwardly and slapped her face; why did she have to suggest this…?

* * *

Unbeknown to the two deities in the open clearing their night-time antics had attracted the attention of a rather unwanted spectator: Hecate. She had been taking her usual late night walk when a loud girly scream attracted her attention. More intrigued than concerned the witch went in search for the sound. Hecate merely assumed that a god was trying to seduce another nymph… perhaps if it was an important god she could blackmail them about it later. When she finally found the correct location her jaw dropped at the spectacle she saw from her hiding place.

'Oh… my… _days_!!!' She eventually choked her eyes wide like saucers. Right in front of her was Hades smirking like an idiot… but more importantly slung over his shoulder like a trophy catch was Demeter's disobedient little brat Persephone. The young goddess threw Hades a look of disdain before the fiery blue god disappeared in a swirl of smoke taking the stupid bimbo goddess with him. For a long moment Hecate merely looked stunned at the empty clearing trying to digest what it was she had just witnessed. Persephone had been snatched by Hades? The witch blinked several times in disbelief…

Hecate had never thought much of the Lord of the Underworld, in fact she thought Hades was an obnoxious idiot and that Zeus was out of his mind to still let him rule the Underworld after that clash with the Titans last year. The witch's lips twisted in displeasure as she remembered the events that followed…

Hecate had gone up to Zeus when the news of the disturbance had finally come to her attention and made her case for the Underworld throne. Hades was irresponsible, unreliable and she; Hecate, would make a much more dignified ruler of the dead… how Hades could even dream up a scheme to knock Zeus off of his throne like that was unforgivable and that she would never in her wildest dreams ever conceive such a plan… Amazingly Zeus had been patient and listened to Hecate make her claim then the huge tanned Lord of Olympus chuckled amused at her words.

'Now Hecate…' He had said in a friendly voice. '-We've discussed this many times before, Queen of the Night is a very responsible job and you do it well…'

'You're only letting him keep it because he's your brother and I'm… just a witch?' Hecate pouted folding her arms tightly across her chest.

'Nooo…' Zeus sighed exasperated with his head in his hand. 'Hades has been punished accordingly… he is no longer welcome inside Olympus until he proves his loyalty again that is that, done and dusted…' Hecate suddenly looked slyly at Zeus.

'So what happens if Hades does something like that again?' She asked innocently and reverting back to her passive look. Zeus frowned at Hecate's words.

'I doubt Hades is that stupid.' He added irritably.

Hecate pulled her thoughts back to the present situation… perhaps Hades was that stupid after all? She had just witnessed him kidnapping the very girl that the Goddess of Nature had been desperately seeking for the past five months… Demeter was one of the few goddess' on Olympus that Hecate got on very well with and as a result she also knew Persephone or 'Cora' as Demeter preferred to be call her pretty well too… Persephone was hardly the sweet and innocent little angel her mother made her out to be, in fact if truth be told Persephone was a rude, spoilt little brat that needed a good slap… when the silly little girl had vanished Hecate had thought 'good riddance to a bad apple' but naturally she had played the part of sympathetic friend for Demeter and promised that if she saw or heard anything she would let her dear friend know… well she'd never gone back on her word before and she wasn't about to start now.

Eluesis was a good few days away from Sicily and the sooner Demeter found out the truth about her dearest little 'Cora' the better…

'Oh Hades… we are in trouble…' She crooned softly with narrowed eyes emerging from her hiding place and wandering thoughtfully across the clearing. Hecate stopped and took in the sinister beauty of the grove… She might be a self-indulgent brat but Persephone definitely had better taste in plants than her mother.

* * *

The Lord of the Underworld reappeared with his white-skinned beauty still suspended over his shoulder into the hallway between their bedrooms. Hades slipped Persephone down off of his shoulder so he could look at her. Persephone gazed at him through her beautiful deep green eyes before they travelled down to Hades' chest where her hands were.

'Seph…' He uttered softly enclosing his hands around her dainty fingers, his touch made her eyes fluttered up towards his face, she looked reserved and thoughtful while waiting for him to speak. 'I wouldn't do nothin' ya weren't ready for… y'know that right?' Hades asked her softly keeping her fingers close to his chest. For a moment Persephone continued to gaze at him without speaking.

'I know…' She eventually said in a breathy voice while her eyes had an emotional glint in them. Hades smiled gently at her as his golden eyes flickered unwaveringly between her eyes; a flash of longing was shining clearly in them. Persephone smiled tenderly as they both stood in the silence gazing at each other.

'But-' Persephone said softly breaking it. '-maybe I am ready.' Hades blinked with disbelief at what he'd just heard then a warm and purposeful look crossed the young goddess' face and he suddenly smiled hopefully.

'Are ya sure?' He asked in a low husky voice releasing her fingers and sliding his hands around her waist and drawing her closer. Persephone nodded and slid her arms around his neck.

'I've wanted to for a while…' She breathed then tailed off as her fingers slipped upwards into his flaming hair, she pulled his lips to hers and began kissing him passionately.

Hades responded instantly moving her lips hungrily over hers gently pushing them apart, tasting her sweetness while completely in awe of her. He could feel Persephone's fingers teasing his flames and with a deep groan of pleasure the bright blue flames exploded into a ripple of passion cascading down his entire body.

Persephone smiled slightly feeling his flames tickle her; it was almost like dozens of fingers caressing her body, making it tingle in the most satisfying way… she sighed then pushed herself right up against Hades who made a low growling noise and moved his hips to hers. He held Persephone tight against him and stumbled backwards towards his bedroom door, with one hand he fumbled with the door handle. After a breif moment the door swung open and the two deities staggered inside still lip-locked in their painfully passionate kiss. Hades skimmed her jaw-line, running his fingers over her trembling body while tenderly running his mouth around her neck as the young goddess tilted her head weakly with a breathless moan…

Reacting instantly to her Hades returned his mouth to her lips kissing her hungrily, guiding her towards the bed as her fingers slid down his shoulders and roamed his chest desperately. They collapsed breathlessly onto Hades' large black sleigh bed still lip-locked as Persephone's hair billowed into golden flames of desire mingling with Hades' own shorter blue ones.

The bedroom door was still ajar and after a few moments Hades waved a hand vaguely at it and the door swung shut locking itself. After a few moments a door-tag appeared on the handle outside in a swirl of brilliant white orbs… on it were the words: **Disturb and Die!**

Inside the bedroom clothes were slowly peeled away and discarded onto the cold stone floor as fingers and mouths explored. Persephone's cheeks burned with a mixture of desire and hesitancy as she'd never been nude in the presence of a male in this way before… she'd been nude many times in front of Hermes but she didn't feel the same intense butterflies and tingling desire she felt whenever the Lord of the Underworld was near her. The young goddess moaned slightly as Hades' touches enflamed her desire but she didn't know exactly what to do in return and it was a little disconcerting as his fingers were travelling lower…

'Hades…wait!' She breathed suddenly clutching his hand and halting him in his tracks. The god turned sharply to her concerned by her wide eyes and panicked look…

'Something wrong?' He asked her breathlessly and curling her close to him.

'Yes… I-' Hades was slowly nuzzling her neck, grazing her skin with his teeth. '-mean… no…' Her breath suddenly caught in her throat as his kisses drove her crazy then finding her voice she added desperately. 'I don't know what to do…' Hades' pulled slowly away then turned to Persephone's beautiful yet bewildered face, she was anxiously waiting for him to speak.

'Re-lax my sweet…' He responded softly and Persephone pulled Hades close to her breathing in the scent of his tangy aftershave while kissing his bare shoulder moving slowly across him. Her hands ran over him trying to memorise every taste and touch she encountered as he breathed heavily against her, kissing any part of her he could touch…

After seemingly endless touching and teasing Hades laid her back against the black bed-sheets and wrapped her in his flames as they moved together. Savouring the kisses, the touches and the feeling of pure pleasure that being entwined together brought them Hades and Persephone remained together until exhausted but satisfied they drifted off still holding onto each other. Both wore the same serene look of complete contentment…

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey everybody, please keep the reviews coming so I can keep the story rolling… your feedback spurs me on and things are really hotting up (literally)… thank you to everybody who reads this your all the reason I write…

Wowie… hell-ova-lot going down in this chapter huh? Hades and Persephone's messing around in her grove on Sicily results in the young goddess screaming out and attracting the rather unwanted attention of Hecate.

Hecate appears as Hades' nemesis in the series of Hercules so naturally I'm trying to keep this as fact… hence when she hears the news of Hades' defeat she ran to Zeus to try and gain his kingdom, didn't work. However I also made her a friend of Demeter as she was in the myth. Hecate hears the petrified squeal of Persephone when Hades jumps her (sound familiar anyone?) and when he vanishes to down below with the girl she naturally assumes the worst of the ruler of Underworld.

Meanwhile in the Underworld completely unaware of the situation our two hapless flaming love-birds get down to some pretty steamy (and waay overdue) lovin'… LoL hope I gave you guys enough details without coming over all smutty… not my intention, so please review and tell me if this is enough to satisfy you peeps…

Thanks again and keep reading… big mmmMwha Ditzy xXx


	19. All for the Love of my Goddess

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Nineteen:**____**All for the Love of my Goddess… **_

'Hades…' Persephone half-giggled as the Lord of the Underworld slipped up behind her and started kissing her neck. It had been three days since the young goddess had lost her virginity and once Persephone had tasted this one illicit pleasure she wanted more… not that Hades was complaining of course, now that work in the Underworld was more laid-back he had plenty of time to spare. Usually he would be plotting how best to increase business but he had to admit that playing host to a playful goddess was much more satisfying, especially when the goddess was now sharing his bed.

'Alright Hot Stuff… knock it off.' Persephone smirked breathlessly after a few moments of enjoying her fiery boyfriend's kisses. 'How am I gonna do my job if you keep trying it on?' She smirked wriggling out of Hades' grip and readjusted the bust of her strapless black chiton before resuming the New Arrival forms she had been filling out on her clipboard.

'Sephy-kins what are ya doin'?' Hades sighed despairingly watching his pale-skinned missus scribbling details on the scrolls attached to her purple clipboard. Persephone glanced up briefly from her board, her green eyes half-rolled before turning back to her work.

'It's called work sweetie…' She answered vaguely then put her signature at the bottom of the scroll before taking it off the board and orbing it to the In tray in Hades' study.

'Baby… they're dead ok?' Hades scowled irritably as Persephone began scribbling on the next sheet. 'They ain't goin' anywhere!' Persephone merely smiled amused by his annoyance while continuing to write her forms. She then signed the bottom of the second sheet and it too vanished in a swirl of orbs heading for the In tray on Hades' desk. The god continued to look put out and pouted impatiently at his girlfriend. Persephone idly twirled away from him while running the end of her phoenix feather quill thoughtfully over her chin. She suddenly smiled widely remembering something and resumed scribbling on her clipboard.

'So…' Hades finally drawled sliding over to his missus with a slightly mischievous look. '-you won't be interested in a little surprise I've been working on?' Persephone blinked taken aback then turned back to her scribbling.

'Not if this is like the last surprise you gave me.' Persephone replied in a bored voice and Hades smirked amused.

I promise it's not.' He suddenly reached around her and snatched her purple clipboard out of her hands and held it tightly.

'Hades!' Persephone squawked annoyed. 'Give that back!' She spun around glaring at her boyfriend who smirked back. Suddenly the clipboard vanished in a puff of smoke as Hades raised his brows further amused.

'Give what back?' He asked with a face of mock-surprise and Persephone pouted crossly. Rather than be bothered by this Hades wrapped his arms around his sulky missus and drew her to him. Persephone moved reluctantly into him still pouting.

'Heh, your sexy when your mad y'know that?' Hades smirked unperturbed by her defiance still holding her close. Persephone's pout twisted into a small smile and she raised her brows in an 'is that right' manner.

'So… what's this surprise then?' She asked running her fingers slowly over his shoulders deciding it was time to change the subject.

'Oh, interested are we?' Hades smirked as his fingers stroked her curves lovingly.

'Verry interested.' Persephone fluttered her eyelashes seductively.

'Well in that case… I better show ya.' He leered playfully then pulled her into a luscious kiss as they turned in a black smoky whirl.

* * *

As the smoke cleared and the scene stopped whirling the two gods landed in front of the chessboard in the throne room still lip-locked in a fierce embrace. Two sets of yellow eyes turned in the direction of the new arrivals and rolled with matching looks of distaste. Pain and Panic had been waiting for Hades to return with Persephone and although the two were happy that their bosses were speaking again, watching them make out was not their idea of a fun-filled afternoon.

'Hey! Public display!!' Panic stood up with his hands on his hips glaring at the loved-up pair.

'Yeh-' Pain chipped in pretending to retch. '-what's with the luurve thang?' The two deities broke apart and Hades turned lazily towards the imps sighing.

'Alright, alright…' Hades smirked lazily at his minions. 'Simmer down boys, shows over.' Persephone blinked as both imps looked suspiciously at their boss then burst into eagerly smiles, clearly whatever Hades was going to show her they already knew about. It was then Persephone turned to the chessboard and her green eyes widened. Certain pieces on the map had been moved and grouped together.

'What's all this?' Persephone turned to Hades. He smiled wider flashing the top row of his sharp off-white fangs and there was a hint of devious glee in his round golden eyes.

'That, my sweet, is the surprise.' He said in a animated tone.

'Oh.' Persephone sounded slightly disheartened turning back to the chessboard.

'It's a work in progress babe…' He added in a softer tone lowering his head to her level.

'Uh, huh…' Persephone drawled confused not really understanding why Hades and his two minions were so excited about a group of figurines clutched together. Then as the young goddess peered closer one figure caught her attention. It was of a tall handsome man in a tight toga and a vain smug look on his pretty face. She recognized him instantly and the figure next to his was a fierce looking beast. Suddenly the whole thing clicked into place.

'Wait,' She uttered softly making the imps smile wider. Hades' eyes lit up at her words and he nodded as if to encourage her on with this train of thought. 'Is this… what I think it is?' Persephone turned to her flame-haired boyfriend who suddenly flashed her a sadistic grin.

'Exactly what it looks like babe.' Persephone blinked amazed then opened her mouth to say something but Hades forestalled her. 'I know, I know… I shoulda told ya sooner but I still think I got off lightly with this whole Adonis-thing so… I thought we could take him out together. Y'know-' He circled his wrist in a suggestive manner. '-like a little you me bonding thing, whadda ya say?' Persephone gazed thoughtfully at the collection of pieces in front of her. She couldn't deny that getting rid of Adonis once and for all had crossed her mind when she'd first found out about him being alive. It was very tempting to pick up where she'd left off and finish the job but she'd mellowed now… being with Hades had made her happier than she'd ever been in the last few years, did she really want to dig up her old feelings for the Prince of Thrace just to settle the score? Persephone turned round to her boyfriend still brooding…

'Alright.' She finally said decisively. 'Let's do it.' Instantly the imps cheered and twirled together excited by the idea of a 'family plot'… the Underworld had been surprisingly boring for them lately.

'Baaabe… ya won't regret this I promise!' Hades' eyes widened in delight and his flames brightened considerably. 'Now whatta ya say we talk tactics over a nice cuppa nectar huh?' He slipped an arm around Persephone's shoulders and led her away from the chessboard and down the hallway. 'Now I was thinkin' we could…' Hades' voice drifted off as the two deities disappeared around the corner.

For a moment the imps watched them go before Pain gave an excited squeal.

'This is gonna be just like old times!' He bounced on the spot excitedly, the thought of a devious plot was more than enough to send his tiny mind into overdrive.

'Almost like old times…' Panic corrected his best buddy. '-except this time the bosses Mrs is on board so ya know what that means!' He suddenly bounced excited for a moment before noticing Pain had stopped and was looking at him confused.

'What does that mean?' Pain blinked and Panic slapped his face with disbelief.

'It means, dum-dum, that with Miss Persephone keeping the boss distracted he won't be using flames on us.' Suddenly both imps burst into big smiles and began doing a little happy dance complete with lively little sing-song.

'No flames, no flames tra la la la-lala-'

'_Boys_!!' Hades' voice snarled from down the hallway making both imps suddenly quiver. 'What've I told ya bout singing jaunty tunes in the Underworld?!'

* * *

Now Hades had always taken his plots seriously and spent ages doing some crucial research on his intended 'target', however since Persephone had once dated said 'target' she knew enough information to start engineering a trap, Hades also sent the imps out to get the latest on the prince's ever-changing love-life, no woman at this time present. The two deities agreed this was the perfect time to snare him, with no missus to attract attention they had a better chance of succeeding without any more 'divine intervention'.

It had been almost a year since Hades had been plotting to take out a mortal, granted said 'mortal' had been the muscle-bound demi-god Hercules but it sure felt nice to be back in the saddle; though not as nice as having his gorgeous girl straddled across his lap as he mulled over their plans. Not only could he plot but when he had a bad case of inspiration block his 'little muse' was always ready to help him out…

Hades groaned and rubbed his temples. It had been four days since the two had started plotting and although they now had a seemingly fool-proof plan the Lord of the Underworld's pernickety and obsessive nature was coming through as he double-checked then triple-checked the details. Persephone had left for a long hot bath a little while ago, leaving her neurotic other half to stare mindlessly at the pieces on the board.

Snapping his fingers a large bowl of worms appeared next to the flaming god out of a smoky wisp. Picking up one of the long wriggling insects Hades slouched sighing, taking one end of the worm between his teeth he stretched it idly… something about the plan bugged the living daylights out of him and he couldn't stand it. The plan was risky, very risky, many things could go wrong with it and it made Hades uncomfortable… he had taken risks before but only when he had been completely sure it was the right thing to do. Hades sucked on the worm slowly, slurping it like spaghetti as he thought about how to improve the plan. Going over the details as he chewed slowly Hades didn't even notice the star-white orbs that appeared swirling behind him. Persephone manifested out of them and slid her slender arms around Hades' neck from behind. She began massaging his shoulders firmly drawing a sigh of pleasure from the dark god.

'Still obsessing?' She asked making his flames quiver with her breath.

'I'm not obsessing… there's just something that doesn't feel right.' Hades replied in a low voice enjoying the shoulder rub that was working out several centuries of repressed tension.

'Heh, re-lax sweetie… you worry too much.' Persephone replied in a sultry tone and as Hades tilted his head back she swept forward and planted a breif kiss on his lips.

'Mmmmm… maybe, but I just want everythin' to be perfect for ya.' He responded breathlessly as they parted and Persephone smiled at his words. She stopped massaging his shoulders and draped her arms lazily over his chest.

'Well-' Persephone sighed, pouting playfully while running her fingers over his skull pin. '-how about, instead of worrying about the plan… you come to bed instead.' Persephone purred softly in his ear with her lips parted expectantly.

'Why don't ya go ahead baby… I'll be up in a sec, I just wanna check one last thing.' Hades said leaning forward and twirling a worm in his fingers. He sucked absent-mindedly on the worm while gazing thoughtfully at the board in front of him. Persephone rolled her eyes in disbelief, this was the first time in the four days they'd been sleeping together that an open 'come on' from the goddess hadn't resulted in Hades dropping what he was doing and dragging her off to bed.

'I'll be waiting…' Persephone purred seductively then vanished into a swirl of orbs. Hades made a vague grunt of acknowledgement while continuing to gaze thoughtfully at the board.

After a while he shook his head… he couldn't think of anything to improve the plan, probably because his mind kept wandering off and thinking about Persephone above him in bed… he smirked as an idea hit him on how to surprise his missus. Suddenly he straightened with a roguish smirk… to Tartarus with the plan for Adonis! He was going to seduce his woman. Without another thought Hades vanished in a curl of smoke to surprise his beautiful goddess.

* * *

Persephone was resting in bed with her eyes closed, she'd dozed off waiting for Hades to return. As she rolled over a curl of smoke wrapped itself around her and as a voice growled in softly in her ears…

'Ever done it with an invisible guy?' A small smile appeared on the young goddess' ruby lips.

'No…' She sighed playfully without even opening her eyes. '-but there's a first time for everything…' Persephone purred wrapping her arms around Hades' invisible shoulders. The invisible god began laying kisses slowly down her neck…

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey everybody, I never set out to write this story for the reviews, with dozens of Hercules fanfics out their I'm flattered and grateful to the people who have reviewed, alerted and added P.o.P to their favourites... Not forgetting of course all those who regularly read this story… you guys are stars and I will continue to write this as long as people read it xXx

Ok, enough mush let's get down to business… this chapter is all about how Hades and Persephone's relationship is evolving after their fist night together… hence a lot of sexual hinting and playful banter… like you'd expect anything else from a hot-blooded god!!

Most importantly we have Hades' proposal for the murder of Adonis (Persephone's ex)… big shocker there everybody (not) but I really wanted to get Hades plotting again… will the plan succeed? Only one way to find out….

Take care everybody and until next time… don't do nothing I wouldn't do…

Lot's of love… Ditzy MmmMwha xXx


	20. Dreams, Screams and Schemes

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Twenty:**____**Dreams, Screams and Schemes**_

'_Don't touch me! Don't ya friggin' touch me… Get your slimy disgusting souls off me!!' Hades cried with a mixture of anger and fear as millions of slimy shades wrapped themselves around him dragging him into the luminous green waters of the fiery whirlpool. His eyes widened in horror at the strength the souls possessed despite their frail appearance. For a moment Hades found himself submerged in the green waters. He wrenched himself out of the souls grip and surfaced…_

_The souls surfaced too, surrounding him from every side. Each one's face mirrored the next, pure murderous hate in their faces… growing closer and closer all the time making the dark god swivel in panic desperately seeking a way out…_

'_I gotta get outta here…' He said in a shaky voice then moved swiftly backwards knocking several souls out of his way prompting the souls into motion; stalking him like sharks. He yelled in a terrified voice as all the souls struck at once dragging him under the water…_

'_Yaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!' He screamed practically choked on the disgusting green liquid, it tasted so bad the god couldn't even find something as nasty to compare it to…_

_The souls were screaming… too many voices to distinguish what they were saying… they were grabbing him… holding him… tearing at his chiton… he was angry and scared… no fire power under the green waters… no way to fight them off… too many hands… grabbing… pinching… slapping… hitting… kicking…_

_Then a disembodied voice sounded…_

'Hades…?' _His Sephy-kins; she sounded groggy and confused… the god hoped the slimy gits hadn't got her too…_

'_Baby?' He sounded swivelling for the young goddess, no sign of her, just faceless angry souls. He felt dizzy… too much of the green liquid in his body… drowning slowly… the urge to pass out was so strong it ached him._

'Hades!!' _Her voice sounded louder but worried and a little panicked. The god shook his head roughly trying to stave off the yearning to just black out… where was she? Why wasn't she helping him?_

'_Persephone…' He sounded fearfully, his large pupils darting all over as the souls continued to attack him and the green waters choked him making it hard to breathe…_

'Come on sweetie…please…' _Persephone's voice pleaded sounding almost like she was everywhere at once…_

_He wanted to move but his body felt heavy… he had to get to Persephone… everything would be alright if he could just… the blackness was swirling now… he had to fight it but there was nothing left to fight with… he could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness… he was petrified… falling into darkness…_

Crying out in horror Hades' eyes snapped open and he sat up breathing heavily as he gazed oblivious of his surroundings. After a few moments of terror and trying to control his breathing the god realised that it had all just been a horrible dream; at this point he suddenly became aware of his dark surroundings, he was sat on his bed in a small circle of dull blue light. The only source of this light was his own flaming hair. A grunt of discomfort made Hades' eyes blink and snap onto the pale form moving in his lap.

'Seph…' He sounded hoarsely as Persephone sat up slightly stunned by his sudden jolt into life. The goddess' eyes turned to his at the mention of her name, her eyes full of concern and uncertainty. It was then it Hades realised that he'd been acting out in his sleep again. Scooping his missus up into a warm embrace he sighed with relief, drinking in the scent of her sweet skin as though he couldn't get enough of it. As her arms wrapped gently around his broad shoulders a soothing sense of peace fell over Hades, closing his eyes the god smiled as his fingers twisted themselves into her golden hair. Feeling the young goddess press her body against his… her fingers were stroking his skin lovingly… hear her soft girly voice breathily reassuring him that everything was alright… he was safe, he was home.. Hades pulled back and gazed fondly at Persephone in the dim light. Her usually green eyes and blonde hair shone blue in the light of his flames. Her slender legs were wrapped around his hips holding her in his lap as her fingers stroked his back tenderly. Even in the soft blue light she was beautiful…

'Baby I shoulda met'cha years ago…' Hades spoke softly running his fingers over her marble white skin. '-maybe things woulda turned out differently.'

'Heh, yeh… we'd be divorced then there'd be a huge custody battle over who'd get saddled with the imps.' Persephone smirked amused.

'Seph I'm serious…' Hades said lightly then sighed. 'Ya know how I feel about ya…' He stroked her cheek gently and a small smile appeared on her lips.

'I know sweetie…' She tailed off yawning. '-but let's get some sleep…' The goddess untangled herself from Hades' grip and snuggled down to sleep. The god smiled at her for a moment before lying down next to Persephone and wrapping his arms around her closing his eyes.

'Hey Seph…' He murmured in her ear.

'Hmmmm…' The goddess sounded sleepily in response.

'Let's take care of that Adonis-yutz tomorrow.' Hades spoke softly and Persephone's eyes flew open and she blinked into the dim light of the room.

'You mean it?' She asked thinking about how much her other half had been obsessing over the plans, convinced that they were missing something.

'Yeh…' He sighed contentedly holding her close to him.

'But what about-'

'Night babe…' Hades breathed softly as he began to drop off. Persephone listened to the god as he fell asleep still clutching her and a small smile spread over his lips.

'Sleep tight sweetie.' She whispered stroking his forearm gently while feeling slightly worried. Hades hadn't been sleeping well, this was the second time he'd woken her up in the week they'd been sleeping together. The young goddess also suspected that her boyfriend knew why he was having these night-terrors… perhaps she could wheedle it out of him after they dealt with her ex.

* * *

The next morning things were quiet. By the docks of the Styx Persephone was taking advantage of the peace to catch up with paperwork, Pain and Panic were helping her sort out last nights check ins. Hades was once again brooding by the chessboard for some 'last-minute inspiration'.

'Hah!!' His voice suddenly sounded triumphant, Persephone swivelled around from her New Arrivals forms and look in the direction of the palace. After a moment she turned and looked down at the two imps who were stood with her, they too were looking somewhat bemused at the sound.

'What do you think that was all about?' She asked raising a brow at the two minions who could only shrug before a billow of flames and smoke announced the arrival of Hades.

'Baby you are not gonna believe it!!' The god practically exploded with excitement, his flaming hair actually turned yellow.

'Lemmie guess?' Persephone said dryly as her eyes narrowed unmoved. 'Cerberus finally figured out that the paper on the floor is not for chewin'?'

'Uhh… no…' Hades shook his head then the flash of boyish glee shone in his face again and an excitable rush of breath escaped him. Sometimes Hades acted so much like a teenage god it made Persephone forget that there was a whole millennia between their ages. 'Ya givin' up yet?' The words burst from his mouth and he flashed her a wide smile.

'Yes…' She sighed heavily then smiled at him. 'What's got you all worked up sweetie?'

'Yours truly… has finally-' He paused for dramatic suspense. '-figured out the problem with the plan!' He announced triumphantly.

'Oh my days… are you serious?' She breathed softly still digesting the news.

'Uh-huh…' Hades smirked proudly at his beautiful missus.

'That's great!!' She suddenly squealed squeezing him tight. When she pulled back an inquisitive look flashed in her deep green eyes. 'So…' She finally breathed. '-have you-'

'-worked out a scheme?' Hades finished her question . 'Got it all here-' he tapped his temple still smirking. '-ready and raring to go when you are sweet-cheeks.' For a moment Persephone looked blank not following him.

'Wha… now? You wanna go now?' She gasped in disbelief and Hades smirked amused by her reaction.

'Sure babe… weren't you the one who said 'let's strike while the irons hot'?' He asked then his lips twisted into a callous leer. 'Well I got news for ya… the irons not just hot, it's on friggin' fire baby!!'

'But what about work? We're already well behind schedule…' Persephone suddenly squealed as Hades grasped her wrists and pulled her into him, holding her close he smiled.

'We'll deal with the stiffs later Seph…' He smirked then jerked his head to his two minions who were looking hopefully at the two deities. 'C'mon boys, I gotta job for you two…' He said and both imps grinned excited as Hades and Persephone swirled into smoke, timing it right they jumped into the smoky whirlpool and vanished with their two bosses.

* * *

'C'mon kid!' Phil yelled. 'Get the lead out!' Hercules gritted his teeth and gave it one last burst of energy, he threw himself into finishing the incredibly tough assault course that the satyr had set out.

'Not bad…' Phil cried as Hercules crossed the finish line panting hard and sweating profusely. The hero groaned exhausted and collapsed on the ground. Phil didn't notice and carried on. '-not your best time, but not bad…'

'Alright boys…' A female voice cried and Phil turned to see Meg walking over with a pitcher and cups. 'Break time.' She smiled pouring out drinks of lemonade and passing a cup to Hercules who downed it in one gulp.

'Thanks Meg…' He sighed catching his breath. Things had been very dull for the young hero ever since the search for Persephone had been discontinued. Demeter was happy, or at least happier than she'd been in a long time. She had been nursing a baby in the home of two wealthy land owners. She was being well cared for and Zeus was satisfied for now. Of course there would be a time when the goddess would have to return to Olympus but if this helped her to overcome the loss of her youngest child then the gods accepted it.

With the lack of hero work around Hercules found himself doing a lot of work outs, mostly Phil's idea. It reminded him of when he was in training, preparing for his big break. Except this time it was not just a pushy coach he had to deal with, he also had his beautiful girlfriend Meg to fit around the constant workouts…

'Why do you let him push you around?' Meg asked her boyfriend with a raised brow. Hercules turned around startle.

'He doesn't push me around-' Meg snorted with amusement. '-he's just looking out for me.'

'Heh, you always jump on the defence chariot don'tcha Wonder boy?'

'I do not!!' He scowled but Meg flashed a mischievous leer.

'Oh please… he says 'jump' you say 'how many times coach'?' This made the young hero smirk amused.

'Y'know Cassandra used to say something similar.' He smiled in his adorable boyish way.

'Well she's right…' Meg smiled sliding closer to her boyfriend. '-work, work, work… you'll be a permanent resident of Hades sooner than you'd like if you keep this up.'

'Father wouldn't let that happen… he'd intervene.' Meg looked slightly uneasy at these words.

'Um… you do know that Zeus can't save you once you make the cross between life and death?' She asked softly and Hercules blinked.

'What do you mean?' he asked nervously and Meg bit her lip.

'Well.. Once your dead your soul is legally the property of Hades, the only way Zeus could try and get you back is to make a deal with him but…' She tailed off sighing heavily. 'It's hard to imagine what sort of price, if any, it would cost just to get you back.' Hercules sat digesting this new information with a sinking feeling.

'How…' Hercules paused then continued. '-how do you even know all this?' He turned towards Meg who downcast her gaze.

'Hades told me…' She said heavily. '-when I was working for him…' Hercules felt a huge rush of pity as a tear rolled down her cheek. She still felt guilty for all the trouble she'd caused. He gripped her hands close and Meg gazed deeply into his eyes.

'You don't work for anybody anymore…' She gave him a watery smile. 'Your free Meg, and don't worry about me… nothings going to happen to me anytime soon.' Hercules wrapped his arms around Meg and the two were about to kiss when a yell of terror made them break apart.

'Run for it!!' Somebody screamed at the top of their lungs and a rush of Thebans could be seen scattering out of the way of a horrible disfigured beast. Hercules instantly got to his feet.

'Stay hidden.' He said sternly to Meg before running off to find Phil looking wide-eyed with worry.

'Phil…' Hercules sounded and the old goat looked around. 'Whatta you call that thing?' For a moment Phil didn't answer but he looked extremely worried.

'It's a manticore…'

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey everybody… this was very difficult to write but I think I managed to pull it off pretty well.

Wow… this is one action packed chapter huh? As many of you have noticed Hades' dream is very reminiscent of the scene at the end of Disney's Hercules… I twisted the details of it so that it could display Hades' fears about loosing Persephone (more about that later on in the story). I know what your thinking, Hades is a god… he can't drown… blah, blah, blah… but we've all had these kind of dreams, why should he be any different?

The plot has officially kicked off now… I wanted something scarier than a Hydra to come and attack the hero and I know that Hercules never really fought a manticore but this is Disney peeps.

Thanks for reading people take care, lot's of love Ditzy xXx


	21. Hercules vs the Manticore

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Twenty-one:**__**Hercules vs. the Manticore**_

'Hey… whoa, whoa, whoa.' Phil ran after Hercules then cut him off. 'Whadda ya think your doing?' He challenged the hero.

'I'm going to fight the manticore.' The young hero said confidently. Phil shook his head gruffly.

'Nuh, nuh, nuh no… ya can't-'

'Aww c'mon Phil… if I can defeat the Hydra I can take on this thing.' Hercules scowled at his coach but Phil remained firm.

'That's the kinda talk that always got Theseus in trouble! Trust me kid, this thing is much worse than a Hydra!' Hercules blinked amazed then the old satyr, it wasn't often that Phil mentioned the other hero's that he had trained but when he did it was to caution the hero.

'Phil… what's hero rule number thirty-three?' Hercules folded his arms stubbornly.

'A hero never backs down from a fight…' The old satyr sighed heavily shaking his head then casting a worried eye in the direction of the beast…

The manticore gave a large shrill roar displaying several rows of razor sharp teeth, it slammed it's rounded furry paws on the ground causing a small shockwave then swung it's mace-like spiny tail low, barely missing the people running away from it. Flashing it's angry blue eyes over the scene it searched for casualties. When it couldn't find any the misshapen lion/dog began moving towards the screams of Thebans trying to get away from it… stalking them like prey…

'-ok… are you sure you wanna take your chances with this? Nobody who has ever fought a manticore has ever come out alive.'

'I've got to Phil…' Hercules said gritting his teeth as he watched the fearsome beast destroy more buildings. The old goat recognised the stubborn look in the hero's eyes and sighed heavily… his mind was set, there was no arguing with the boy when he was like this.

'Well… if your sure champ, we better think of a plan…'

A little way away in an open air temple on the outskirts of Thebes Hades and Persephone were waiting for the cue that meant that Hercules was fully distracted. The young goddess was perched on the alter fiddling with a strand of her silky blonde hair. She looked up as some distant screaming started coming from the town, dropping her hair she got up and wandered over to where Hades was stood looking down on the scene below with a smirk twisted on his dark lips.

'Don'tcha just love the sound of discord in the morning?' He asked cheerfully as Persephone appeared by his side. Turning back towards the screams he closed his eyes and twirled his fingers while nodding softly, almost as though he were conducting the screams. Persephone watched him amused by the fact that he took pleasure out off the mortals pain.

'So…' Persephone broke their silence after a few moments causing Hades to stop conducting and open his eyes. '-is it time yet?' He smiled widely at her eagerness.

'Nahhh…' Hades drawled then pulled Persephone to him. '-gotta wait for Jerkules to get here.'

'Uhh…' Persephone rolled her eyes. '-why can't heroes ever be on time when you want them.. when you don't need them they're all over you like a bad rash?' Hades snickered at her words amused.

'Well, that's heroes for ya… always tardy for the party babe…' He drawled as Persephone leaned against him. '-not that I'm complainin' of course, we got plenty of room in the Styx..'

'I thought this was only ment to be a distraction to get Hercules out the way for an hour or so?' The young goddess turned and threw Hades a suspicious look.

'It is…' He protested then leaned in to her ear as Persephone turned away folding her arms and pouting crossly. 'Ahh… c'mon Sephy-kins-' He purred coaxingly. '-ya can't blame a god for lookin' out for his interests?' For a moment the goddess remained resolute before her face softened and she turned back.

'And that's all it is?' She asked eyeing him unsurely.

'Baabe.. I told ya, I'm not out to get revenge but hey.. If by some miracle the yutz goes down I ain't objectin'…' He flashed her his most charming smirk.

'If you say so sweetie…' Persephone sighed heavily, she wasn't in the mood to argue about it… but she knew only too well that the last thing the two of them needed was an angry Zeus on their doorstep…

Hercules walked steadily down to the area where the large manticore was prowling, most of the Thebans were now either safely out of the way or hiding in fear. The young hero was undoubtedly nervous… his heart was thumping heavily against his chest as he went through all the things Phil had told him about the manticore… this was going to be his greatest challenge yet, if he won it would be more fame and accolades, if he lost… well, he'd be seeing his least favourite uncle very soon and there would be nothing Zeus could do to stop it. Hercules wished he'd said a better goodbye to Meg… this could be their last day together.

The misshapen lion/dog looked around with eyes of hate-filled blue… the young hero gulped nervously then unsheathed his sword, the beast's eyes narrowed as it took in the sword, then it's lips twisted into a distorted jagged leer. Game on.

'Ok… that's it… nice and slow…' Phil uttered softly, watching from behind the nearest pita stand as the manticore and Hercules regarded each other, then moved slowly in a circle. After a moment of pacing the manticore struck first.

'Watch the tail… watch the tail…' The satyr winced as the beast's spiny tail swung in a huge semi-circle narrowly missing the hero who dived out the way. The manticore swung it's tail in the opposite direction-

'C'mon… to the right, to the right…' Phil slapped his hand across his face as Hercules dived to the left, why couldn't he ever get that bit? '-I said the _right_!!' He scolded folding his arms crossly. He quickly returned to his state of worry, he could reprimand Hercules later… if there was going to be a later that is…

Hercules got quickly to his feet… at least this time he'd managed to keep his sword with him. He glared at the manticore who was pacing again. Then suddenly the beast pounced towards him, releasing it's thick black claws as though planning to maul him. If this had been a lion then it wouldn't be a problem… he'd wrestled the Niemen Lion before but unfortunately the manticore came with that poisonous tail… one prick from those spines and he was history…

'C'mon kid…' Phil's voice called out to him. 'Don't let it corner ya!!' Hercules did a short nod then braced himself, as the beast began to descend from his pounce the young hero dived to the right… once again he narrowly missed the spiny tail as it thrashed in his direction and Hercules landed and rolled to his feet clutching his sword…

'Well at least he finally has that bit down…' Phil breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile at the open temple above the scene Persephone was tugging at Hades' forearm..

'C'mon, c'mon… he's distracted… let's go already…' She tutted impatiently.

'Alright… I'm comin'… don't get your chiton in a knot…' Hades smirked amused tearing his eyes away from Hercules and the manticore, sometimes his missus was more excitable than the imps. She was gazing at him with her wide green eyes… so pretty and full of life. He barely even registered when they both vanished into a swirl of blue and white orbs.

* * *

They reappeared at their desired destination Persephone beamed at Hades as she pulled away, clearly delighted that the two of them were finally about to act out what they'd been planning for the best part of the last four days. She began looking around Thrace with a critical eye… her mother had forced her to help tend to the spring flowers ever since discovering that Persephone had a real knack for making things grow at an incredible speed, even though the young goddess resented this job she felt compelled to inspect her mother's first spring without her precious 'Cora's' help.

'Uhh…' Persephone finally pulled a disgusted face at the cheery spring flowers and vivid green foliage. '-mother's really going for the cutsie spring look this year…'

'Tell me about it..' Hades responded dryly while eyeing the whole scene as though it had personally insulted him. '-the sooner we're done with this schmeil the sooner we can get outta here.' He began striding off in the direction of the shady trees nearby. After a brief moment Persephone hurried after him. The two of them walked through the sparse woody area until they found a clearing.

'Ok… this is the spot, now all we gotta do is wait…' Hades sighed and settled down on a tree stump and brought forth a miniature of his chessboard out of a wisp of smoke. He studied the board for a long moment before Persephone smirked amused.

'Oh please… I thought we were just gonna gore him with the Caledonian boar?' She asked raising her brow at his obsessing.

'We are…' Hades responded vaguely.

'Then will ya put that thing away… I'm nervous enough without you makin' it worse!' She rolled her eyes animatedly.

'Fine…' Hades responded and the board melted away into smoke once more. He then extended his smoky tendrils around Persephone's waist and drew her to him.

'Are you sure the other gods won't intervene?' She suddenly asked looking slightly anxious, this had clearly been bothering her.

'Seph… will ya relax, they're all gonna be more interested in Jerkules than care about what happens to some yutz on the other side of Greece…' Hades rolled his eyes and Persephone smiled slightly reassured… Hades suddenly caught sight of movement coming from the opposite side of the clearing and smirked a sadistic leer. '-speakin' of him… here comes the idiot now.' The god stood up then snapped his fingers and a fierce looking black boar appeared in the woods with them..

'He doesn't look very mad…' Persephone commented as the boar began snuffling the forest floor for insects and fruit.

'Yeh… but he will be-' Hades smirked then pulled out a vile of green looking liquid. '-with this!' Persephone eyed the liquid in the vile with interest.

'What is that?' She asked unsurely.

'Something the imps have been workin' on for me… think they called it 'rabies', or somethin' like that… I wasn't really listening, anyway one drop of this stuff and the boar will be all over Adonis like Bacchus on wine.'

'What does it do?' Persephone asked keenly.

'Drives animals nuts… had Cerberus foaming at the mouth.'

'Oh… so that's why he's been acting weird lately.' Persephone suddenly smirked, she'd been wondering why Cerberus had been so twitchy lately. The boar was almost at the clearing, he was still snuffling the ground and chewing on whatever he found that was edible.

'Wait here…' Hades smirked turning invisible so that the pompous prince wouldn't see him and moving towards the boar with the vile held above its head. For a moment he watched Adonis and his two guards wandering through the clearing then with a soft laugh he poured half the contents of the vile onto the boar.

He suddenly reappeared beside the beautiful young goddess corking the vile and slipping it into a pocket in his chiton. The effects of the rabies tonic was immediate as the boar stooped eating instantly and began grunting and snorting with annoyance…

'Heh, he sounds like my mother when she's pissed off.' Persephone breathed softly with an amused smile causing Hades to smirk then shush her.

The boar suddenly twitched his ears and began looking around… his eyes fell on the prince and his two guards who were now laughing amongst themselves, without another word the boar charged…

…meanwhile in Thebes Hercules was still trying to dodge the manticore's vicious tail, but now he had a plan, all he had to do now was get closer to the beast… easier said than done. The manticore was quick to deflect any attack the hero tried but Hercules knew that if he was to defeat this beast he'd need to sneak up on it from behind, but what to use as a distraction? Suddenly the answer came to him and he pulled his fingers to his lips and gave a short sharp whistle…

The response was instantaneous as from over the rooftops of the tall buildings the white winged horse Pegasus flew down to his owner and best friend… the manticore's angry blue eyes narrowed and he roared at the new comer… Pegasus gulped nervously at the sound and turned anxiously at Hercules.

'Pegasus… I need you to distract him!' The hero said firmly, Pegasus glanced at the manticore and shook his blue mane firmly as if to say 'no way'.

'Just do it!' Hercules bellowed to his winged horse who snorted his disapproval then rolled his eyes with distain as if to say 'fine, but you owe me'… he then took off and began to circle the manticore's head whinnying to keep the beast's focus on him. As Pegasus swerved and looped avoiding the manticore's giant claws and barbed tail Hercules snuck up behind the beast… timing his actions just right the young hero suddenly grabbed a tight hold of the manticore's tail carefully avoiding getting pricked by the spines. The manticore gave a roar of surprise and displeasure and Hercules dug his heels firmly into the ground in preparation for his next move…

…at the same time in Thrace the rabid boar had managed to floor the two guards knocking them out cold, he then turned snorting with rage towards the whimpering prince of Thrace.

'What didja see in that guy?' Hades groaned dispassionately at Adonis' cowardice.

'The Fates only know…' Persephone drawled in an unimpressed tone. Adonis let out a girly scream as the boar suddenly attacked him…

…the eyes of the spectators were wide with horror as they watched Hercules now swinging the manticore around his head like he was competing in the hammer toss at the Olympic games, their heads moving round and round as though pivoting on a stick… round and round like a red and orange blur the manticore moved as Hercules rotated on the spot, beads of sweat ran slowly down his face as the he gritted his teeth…

…blood everywhere as the boar gored the prince of Thrace, Persephone's eyes widened in horror at the ferocious attack then when the sight became too much for her she buried her face in Hades' chest. The Lord of the Underworld remained unperturbed by the sight, he'd seen worse in his time but he wrapped his arms protectively around the young goddess clutching his chiton tightly. After a moment longer the boar stopped and sniffed the air, with a grunt it shot off into the undergrowth at the opposite end of the clearing. Hades suddenly nudged Persephone as a pearly blue mist seeped out of the prince lying spread-angled on the forest floor. The goddess lifted her head up and turned just in time to see the mist swirl and form into the spectre of Adonis. The ghostly prince looked surprised at his dead and bleeding body then he swirled into mist again then seeped through the ground.

Persephone blinked several times trying to digest what it was she had just seen… Adonis was really gone, strange, she wasn't sure how she should feel about that. She'd didn't feel sad or happy, she just felt… empty, like it didn't really matter. Her mind was so wrapped up in her own thoughts she barely registered Hades' arms grip her more securely and the two of them vanished into a curl of smoke…

…after pivoting with the manticore for a long time Hercules' palms were starting to sweat and his grip was loosening, deciding that enough was enough he heaved the beast around and let go. The manticore flew over the buildings of Thebes like a red and orange rocket and hurtled out of sight, if the beast survived the landing it wouldn't be hurrying back to Thebes any time soon… as soon as Hercules stopped spinning he felt light-headed, almost as though he were drunk, the young hero staggered sideways with uneven footing and collapsed to his knees gasping for breath. There was a roar of side-splitting cheer as the people of Thebes shot towards the hero and Hercules felt himself being hosted into the air and being carried through the crowds… it was just like when he'd defeated the Hydra again but this time the hero was craning the crowds of smiling faces looking for one person in particular. Hercules' eyes found her standing a little way away with Phil who was jumping up and down with glee… Meg flashed him a warm smile, she would see him later, but now… he had to be with his followers.

* * *

Little Notes: Yay!! I love Christmas don't you? Here's an extra special early x-mas prezzie for ya peeps… enjoy!! I'm gonna try and have the next chapter up before Christmas but if that doesn't happen I'll say MERRY CHRISTMAS PEEPS!! And it'll definitely be up before new year… happy reading!!

Wow… Hercules verses the manticore!!! I don't mind telling you this was a tough chapter to write, I had to do a lot of research on manticores so that I could try and write the fight scene… I couldn't find any info about anybody actually fighting a manticore (hence why Phil says nobody has ever lived through fighting one) but I did find out how they attack so I made up a fight scene based on a mixture of Hercules moves and how a manticore strikes down his prey.

Ok… I don't think anybody cried when Adonis died did they? I know it seems lazy to use the whole boar-gores-the-prince thing again but in myth Adonis was gored twice… the tree that used to be his mother was gored giving birth to him and then again when he died, since Disney neglects to tell us that Adonis' father is also his grandfather I feel I can get away with this…

Thank you so much for the reviews everybody, they made me smile…

Take care peeps… lot's of love Ditzy xXx


	22. The 'Truth' can be such a Witch

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Twenty-two:**__**The 'Truth' can be such a Witch**_

As the city of Thebes celebrated yet another defeated monster, the city of Thrace was in mourning of it's lost prince… however the small sleepy town of Eleusis was an entirely different story…

Hecate had finally arrived at her destination and looked around with vague interest. The small town was nothing like she'd expected… the witch had received directions off of Hermes telling the Messenger God that she wanted to visit her dear friend, Hecate deliberately omitted the part about having information on Persephone as she knew how close the two had been, she wanted Demeter to be the first to know the shocking truth. Hermes naturally obliged and told her a little about the place as a 'heads up', it sounded like Demeter needed a reminder on who she was… but on arrival Hecate was surprised to find a rather impressive temple built looking down over the town and many of the fields surrounding the area were freshly ploughed with young barley shoots sprouting… perhaps things were not as bad as she feared.

As the witch crossed the threshold of the temple her eyes widened in surprise, this temple was finer than anything Zeus had dedicated to him… gold and green tiles on the floor, richly designed tapestries hung from the walls depicting different times in Demeter's life… a couple showed the goddess with her two children, Hecate wrinkled her nose at the representation of Persephone, if only the young goddess were here, the witch could just picture the look of horror on Persephone's face… As the witch continued along her eyes finally came across the sight of her dear friend of many decades, Demeter was slumped across her richly decorated throne looking thoroughly depressed. Hecate blinked several times in shock at this sight… oh-kaay, so things weren't as rosy as they seemed to be…

'Demeter… so good to see you again…' The witch sounded making the green goddess' bright blue eyes swivel in her direction, for a moment she was speechless as she took in Hecate's presence then she smiled widely and rose from her throne and embraced her friend tightly. The witch's eyes widened at the force of Demeter's hug, how did Persephone stand it?

'Hecate… oh, it's been so long!' She trilled clearly pleased to see her friend again.

'Too long…' The witch agreed smiling as the Goddess of Nature pulled back smiling warmly at her friend. 'You've done well for yourself.' Hecate's eyes flashed around the room once more. '-and to think, I heard you were nursing a sickly child…'

'Yes…' Demeter sighed heavily. 'I was doing that…' She turned away but not before Hecate caught the look of hurt in the goddess' eyes.

'Deme… is everything alright dear?' Hecate's eyes flashed with concern as the green goddess sniffed and wiped a few tears away from her face.

'Oh it's nothing… I'm being silly…' Demeter sighed turning around once more.

'Tell me…' Hecate said softly and Demeter sighed eyeing her friend unsurely for a moment then sighed heavily.

'It's a long story… are you sure you want to hear it?'

'Go ahead… I've got all night.' The witch smiled at her friend.

It took Demeter a good half hour to tell Hecate the details of her travels since leaving Olympus and the other gods in search of her daughter… She'd spent many days wandering, searching various haunts for her daughter, never resting, eating or drinking. The goddess came across this little haven nestled away out of sight from the rest of Greece and chosen to rest by the old well in the town centre… before she knew what happened next the goddess found herself being taken to the large house on the other side of town, there she had been offered the job of nursing the son of two wealthy landowners…

'Oh…' Demeter smiled reminiscently. '-the moment they placed the baby in my arms… I felt this overwhelming sense of joy.'

…she accepted the job and suddenly felt happier than she'd felt in a long time, happy enough to let nature run it's course. Spring arrived, it soon was followed by the somewhat expected arrival of Hermes asking her to return home…

'Naturally I refused… I was happy… besides, what did I have to go home to? Bacchus is all grown up, Cora was gone… so I stayed, after all the baby needed me…'

…as the weeks slowly passed the baby grew stronger, the parents were pleased with it's progress and Demeter wanted to do something for them so she decided to bless their child with immortality. A very slow process that involved burning the mortality away in a blue fire while introducing the baby to divine foods… the process was going well to start with, the child had even began to gain a godly glow…

'-and then…' Demeter tailed off sighing. '-the mother ruined everything…'

…it was hard to say what attracted the mistress to the baby's room that night, perhaps she'd heard the baby crying or smelt the smoke… either way the goddess' plans were ruined. The baby would never be the great god she'd wanted him to be… Demeter had been angry and hurt by the mistresses reaction to her discovery…

'Evil!' Demeter clenched her fists tightly, the word still stung her now. '-Evil! Who was she to call me that!'

'The nerve of some mortals…' Hecate drawled in response. The goddess smiled at the witch's words before carrying on her story.

…the goddess revealed her true identity that night, she had never been so insulted in her life. Of course the woman begged for forgiveness instantly, anything the goddess wanted was hers. So Demeter demanded the true honours a goddess of her standing deserved… a beautiful temple and they were to dedicate themselves to her. Once the temple was built she moved in and hadn't been near the manor house since…

For a long moment Hecate sat thoughtfully. Ritzy new temple… a legion of followers at her beck and call, in retrospect Demeter had done pretty well for herself considering it had only been three months since she'd left Olympus…

'I suppose your wondering why I didn't return to Olympus after everything that happened…' Demeter spoke softly after a long silence.

'Well it does seem like the obvious solution after everything that happened to you here…' Hecate smiled sympathetically at her friend.

'Perhaps…' Demeter smiled gently back. '-but I promised myself I wouldn't return to the clouds until I'd heard news about my daughter…'

'I see…' Hecate looked reasonably uneasy now and it wasn't unnoticed by Demeter.

'Do you know something Hecate?' The green goddess asked suddenly then staggered over to her friend with eyes wide, she gripped the witch's fingers tightly. 'Whatever it is… no matter how small or insignificant, I need to hear it…' Hecate nodded reluctantly, she may have had her troubles with other gods but never with Demeter…

'Alright Deme…' She sighed. '-but your not going to like it…' Hecate paused to collect her thoughts.

'Nine days ago, I saw Persephone return to her quaint little grove on Sicily, then… the most awful thing happened…' Hecate paused and downcast her gaze so she didn't have to see the look of fear in Demeter's eyes. '…She was kidnapped-'

'By who? Who took her?!' Demeter suddenly lent forward and gripped the witches wrist tightly with a fierce look. 'I swear by the Styx if she's harmed I'll…' Demeter tailed off as Hecate finished her sentence.

'-by Hades…' The witch sighed the last two words.

'Hades?' Demeter fell back in shock. 'My baby… is in the Underworld?'

* * *

Some days Hermes hated being the Messenger of the Gods, other days Hermes loved it… thank the good Zeus that this was one of the latter days. The short blue god had just delivered the Lord of Olympus the best news in the cosmos… Hercules had defeated a manticore.

As expected Zeus practically bounced out of his throne whooping and proceeded to perform a happy dance that strangely echoed something the tiny blue god had seen Hades do once… perhaps Demeter had had a point when she'd said the two brothers were more alike than they cared to admit… now there's a seriously nutty thought. Mind you, it wasn't as nutty as what he was witnessing now…

'Yehhhh!' Zeus was whooping gleefully while boxing air. 'Undefeated!!' Hermes resisted the urge to say something witty that had just popped in his head but smirked cheerfully to himself. He made a mental note to re-enact this scene to Hera later, should produce a chuckle or two…

'_Zeus_!!!' An angry bellow from behind made Hermes whip around startled. The Lord of Olympus instantly stopped his ridiculous celebration and beamed at the newcomers. Demeter came striding out of her enormous orange flower followed by a rather sickly looking Hecate, travelling in a massive orange tulip was clearly not her cup of nectar.

'Demeter!' Zeus boomed in delight at the sight of his estranged sister-in-law, his smile vanished instantly under her steely gaze… the Messenger God had a sneaky feeling that this was not going to be the happy reunion he hoped it would be…

'We need to talk..' Demeter spoke in a cold tone.

…Yup, he was right…

* * *

'When I get a hold of my little brother…' The rest of Zeus' words tailed away into angry mutterings as the god's golden aura pulsed angrily. It had been a good few minutes since Hecate and Demeter had brought him their news. Zeus instantly promised that he'd take care of it.

'…he's doing this to spite me y'know!' The Lord of Olympus suddenly shot at Hermes who'd been brooding in silence ever since Hecate and Demeter had left.

'Sir… don't you think your taking this a _little_ too personally?' Hermes asked nervously knowing that questioning an angry Zeus usually ended up with a bolt being thrown in your direction.

'No!!' Zeus snapped irritably. 'First Hercules, then the Titans… now this!! He's out to get me!!' He broke off as he was working himself into a rage.

'Where's my thunderbolts-' Zeus suddenly seethed turning to Hermes. '-I'll blast him back to the pre-Titan Age for this!!'

'Ah-hah…' Hermes sounded anxiously determined to say what was on his mind, even if he got smote for it. '-If I might interject a point here babe, before ya go on this 'smitin'-the-li'l-brother' trip ya got planned there… Hecate isn't the most trustworthy being in the cosmos, if ya catch ma drift…' Zeus blinked then eyed Hermes for a moment.

'Your point being?' He finally asked the blue god who was fluttering nervously nearby.

'Well… it is common knowledge that she and Hades don't see 'eye to eye'…'

'Are you suggesting that she's making this up?' Zeus asked stunned.

'Uh… well no, I'd like to think that since Demeter's her friend that she wouldn't be that callous but… well… it wouldn't do any harm to check the situation out before jumping to conclusions would it?' Hermes said gently and Zeus stroked his beard thoughtfully.

'Hermes…' He finally chuckled. '-this wouldn't have anything to do with those 'Hades has a mistress' rumours that are still flying around?'

'No, no, no…' He paused then gave an embarrassed little shrug. '-well maybe justa little…' Zeus raised his brows, he didn't have to say anything as his expression was all Hermes needed.

'Aww come on big guy…' The blue god flashed his most persuasive smile. '-your not even the tiniest bit interested in finding out if the rumours are true?'

'Well…' Zeus drawled stroking his beard again. Yes, was the simple answer… at first he'd dismissed the rumours as idle gossip but as time passed the rumours didn't die, and since everything was 'all quiet on the Haden front' some of the gods on the big cloud were anxious to know if the rumours were true…

'…Alright, fine.' Zeus sighed then smirked. 'Go down to the Underworld and talk to Hades, but be _tactful_, you know what he's like about beings that show up unannounced…' Zeus broke off collecting his thoughts. '-besides, we'll need him in a decent mood if we're to _persuade_ him to give up Persephone willingly…' Hermes threw him a look which clearly expressed how the Lord of Olympus was feeling about this… Hades didn't give _anything_ up willingly.

'What are you going to tell the others?' Hermes asked suddenly thinking of Bacchus, Hestia and Hera in particular since they were the deities most affected by this whole situation.

'I won't tell them anything until you find out what the situation is…' Zeus replied then dismissed Hermes with a wave of his hand.

'I'll be back as soon as I can chief…' Hermes bowed then shot out the doorway in a brilliant blue blur. Zeus groaned heavily then slouched further into his golden throne and rubbed his temples, trying not to picture what it was that Hades wanted with this barely-legal goddess…

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey everybody… I'm posting this a little sooner than originally intended but I've got my mother visiting me this week (she's who I'm basing some aspects of Demeter on) and I'll be busy trying to keep my sanity… for those of you who also read H.o.T.T (the sister story I've got running along side this one) chap.4 will be up soon…

Ok… so the story that Demeter shares with Hecate about her wanderings is taken directly from myth, it was also essential as a catch up on the goddess as she's been absent since chap.16.

Naturally when Zeus hears Hecate's story of Persephone (the inspiration for this chapter title) he naturally believes it (who could blame him after what Hades did in the film) but as in the series I made Hermes interject with a little advice. Don't jump in without the facts… so Zeus sends Hermes off to find out…

…what will he find? Keep reading as the story is starting to move…

Take care peeps… have a good Xmas and hope you gets loadsa prezzies from Santa (I know I will)… Lot's of Love Ditzy xXx


	23. The Goddess, the God and the Messenger

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Twenty-three:**__**The Goddess, the God and the Messenger**_

Pain and Panic blinked amazed at Hades; not an uncommon sight in the Underworld but under these circumstances they could be forgiven.

'Err… could you just repeat that…' Panic stuttered nervously and amazingly, instead of smouldering enraged by the imp's words Hades actually smiled widely…

'Ya heard me… take the rest of the day off…' The god said in a jaunty tone. The imps exchanged yet another look of amazement.

'Is he serious?' Pain asked Panic who shrugged.

'He looks serious…' The green imp tailed off as their boss' grin widened… creepy, too creepy for the imps and they shook, both praying that they didn't have to see it again soon.

'The manticore…' Hades smacked his lips together in the same manner chefs did when complimenting a dish without words. '-I know I said I wanted ya to dig up somethin' scarier than a Hydra but I wasn't expectin' that…' Both imps blushed fiercely at the complement, the strange warm feeling in their stomachs was a new thing entirely, was this pride?

'Aww… shucks.' Pain smiled coyly twisting his ankle.

'We learn from the best…' Panic added in a simpering manner.

'Yeh, yeh, yeh,… as touchin' as that is boys, why don't ya make like my personality and split-' Hades suddenly glared. '-before I make ya disappear _permanently_!!' He spoke the last word with so much anger that the colour of his face changed to red and his now yellow flames grew a foot. At the sight of an enraged Hades both Pain and Panic turned and fled from the god's presence…

'Oy vey…' Hades sighed heavily then returned blue before vanishing on the spot to join his better half by the pool of Lethe.

'Hey sweetie…' The goddess' eyes lit up as her other half appeared beside her. 'Ooh, you look tense… were there flames involved?' She added on catching sight of his strained features.

'Nahh…' Hades drawled waving her question away casually then smirking. '-just the little yutzes being stupid as usual…'

'-and you didn't flame them?' Persephone asked amused raising her brow. 'You aren't going soft on me are you?' She teased making the god's yellow eyes narrow.

'Perish the thought my sweet…' He crooned softly with a hungry smirk.

'Oh good.' Persephone's replied cheerily then added in a sultry tone. 'I prefer you this way…' She then lent forward and kissed him.

When he resurfaced Hades wore a content smirk as he twisted his wrist making two pink martinis appear, decorated with a green caterpillar in them. He took his own as he passed the other to Persephone, she eyed the caterpillar for a moment unsure of it's purpose.

'A toast..' The god said holding up his glass slightly. '-to us…'

'-the perfect partnership…' Persephone added smiling and chinking his glass.

'Heh, I'll drink to that..' Hades sighed then took a mouthful of his own drink as his missus flicked the caterpillar out of hers before drinking.

'Hades..' Persephone smiled gently at her partner who was looking around the pool of Lethe with interest.

'Hmm…' He sounded vaguely still looking around at the creepy willows, gloomy asphodels and glowing star-flowers.

'About these night-terrors you've been having-' Hades stiffened instantly with wide eyes… oh please, anything but that... '-do you know why-'

'Hey, did I ever tell ya whatta great job ya did with this place?' He suddenly turned back to her cutting her question off. Persephone blinked surprised by his sudden remark. 'Cause it looks amazing…'

'Err…' She sounded unsure how to respond.

'Seriously, it's waay better than the weird beach thing I had goin' on… geez, who knows what I'd been smokin' when I thought up that…'

'Hades…' Persephone sounded gently clutching his hand and his face fell slightly.

'Ya ain't gonna let this drop are ya?' He asked seriously and Persephone shook her head. He pulled his hand away from hers and turned away sighing.

'I didn't mean to upset you… I'm just concerned…' She tailed off gazing forlornly at his back. Hades fiddled with one of the star-flowers growing in front of him.

'I hoped I wouldn't have to tell ya this…' He finally sighed making Persephone's eyes widen, so he did know why the nightmares were coming.

'Tell me what?' She asked softly.

'You remember me telling' ya about Meg and how she betrayed me?' He asked her.

'Yes…' She sounded hesitantly.

'I never told ya the whole story…' He faced her feeling slightly nervous, after all he was about to share his biggest fear with her, this would either make or break them. '-ya see, she sacrificed her life to help Jerkules get his strength back, my fault entirely… lousy fine print…' He smouldered at the memory of the deal he'd made. Persephone blinked and he suddenly returned to normal…

'Yeh… I heard about that from Hermes.' She said softly.

'Did he tell ya what happened after?' Hades asked wondering if she already knew the rest.

'No… mother wouldn't let him tell me the rest, apparently all that mattered was that you got your 'just deserves'.' Persephone rolled her eyes irritably.

'Does your mother live in the same cosmos as us?' Hades asked seriously and Persephone shrugged vaguely.

'I dunno…' Persephone sighed then smiled. '-but tell me what happened when Hercules got here…' Hades flared briefly with annoyance at the mention of his name and the memories of that night.

'Rrrr… as if ruining my plans for Olympus weren't bad enough he followed me home and demanded the return of his little nut-Meg!'

'What did you do?' Persephone leaned in enthralled making Hades soften slightly at her.

'I put on the nicey-nice act gave him a very brief tour then…' The Lord of the Underworld sighed heavily. '-he offered to jump in the Vortex and get her himself… heh, can't believe I forgot about the whole self-sacrifice rule of immortality, mind you… I mighta remembered if the jerk hadn't been pushin' me into agreein' to let him go.'

'So you let him go get her?' Persephone asked.

'Yup… ya can guess what happened…'

'He came out immortal didn't he?' Hades nodded.

'Oh yeh… I knew I was licked then, tried to reason with him but he wasn't buyin' it… he punched me, I deserved that part, but I landed right in the Vortex of Fire didn't I…' He tailed off at the horror on her face. '-and those souls have been itchin' to get a piece of me for decades… not something I wanna repeat lemmie tell ya, never been the same since they _finally_ let me leave.'

'Is that what you've been dreaming about all this time?' She asked softly feeling pity well up inside her. 'Being back in there…'

'Yeh, and why I avoid both the Styx and the Vortex…' He sighed. 'I'm just not sure I can face them again…'

'Maybe, in time, _we_ could face them…together.' Persephone said taking his hand and smiling lovingly at him. For a moment a sense of hope filled him as he gazed at her.

'Heh… maybe.' Hades wrapped an arm around her and Persephone leaned her head on his shoulder and both resumed sipping their martinis in the silence that followed.

* * *

Hermes shot as quickly as he could down from Olympus to the Underworld, even for him this took some time… it seemed unreal to Hermes that nobody had even thought of asking Hades if he'd seen Persephone, but then the Underworld wasn't exactly the kind of place you'd expect her to be. Having said that Persephone was not like everybody thought she was…

As Hermes dropped down through the open alter which concealed the entrance to Hades he tried to come up with some plausible reason as to why the god would snatch a goddess. He couldn't, the Lord of the Underworld was a lot of things but a woman-snatcher wasn't one of them, he was sure of it. He also had serious misgivings about Hecate's story… if Persephone had been down there only nine days, where had she been the rest of the nine months she'd been missing? Zeus had naturally gone against Hades, understandable after what had gone on with Hercules last year but the tiny blue god couldn't help but feel that Zeus should put his personal feelings aside and look at _all_ the facts… a lot of things just didn't add up.

And what about these strange rumours that Hades had a mistress? Hermes knew that every piece of idle gossip had at least one nugget of truth in it… where did they fit in to all of this? Was it possible that there was more to them than met the eye?

'Be gone…' Charon's gravely voice sounded as the skeletal boatman appeared from the long gondola boat by the Styx. 'None but the dead may ride-' The boatman blinked in amazement at the sight of the blue god. '-Hermes!! What brings you to the Underworld?' He suddenly asked in amazement.

'Came for a word with the H-man… is he home?'

'Hades… sure, he just got a back a few hours ago,' Charon replied leaning on his long black oar. '-apparently he had some business on the surface.'

'What kind of business?' Hermes asked the boatman who scowled.

'Hey! Do I look like an imp?' He answered stiffly. 'I know how to keep my nose clean, unlike _those_ two idiots… I just row the boat.'

'Whoa… I didn't mean to offend ya babe…' Hermes said raising his hands up as Charon glared at him for a moment then caught sight of two souls floating down the long stairway towards him.

'Ooh customers…' Charon grinned slyly rubbing his palms together. 'Beat it Fly Boy, I work alone…' He added to Hermes who was floating beside him.

'So… I can just go right in?' The blue god asked the demon boatman.

'Yeh, yeh… but don't blame me if he gets antsy alright, I don't want no trouble…' Charon waved him off impatiently.

'You got it buddy.' Hermes grinned as Charon greeted the souls.

'Welcome to the Styx… two silver drachmas to ride…' The blue god zipped down and around the glowing blue waters of the Styx. As he rounded the corner Cerberus growled narrowing his six red eyes.

'Easy… easy… nice doggy…' The god backed away as the dog foamed at the mouth, with a loud bark all three heads snapped at the god forcing him to retreat higher out of the dog's reach.

'Yeesh, he's been hanging out with Hades too long…' Hermes shook his head then caught sight of the two imps talking by the banks of the Styx.

'It sure was nice of the boss to give us the rest of the day off.' Pain was saying to Panic.

'Yeh….' He responded wistfully. 'I can't remember him giving us a day off before…'

'Me neither but I am gonna enjoy it while it lasts.' Pain replied sighing and stretching out in a clump of asphodels.

'Heya cats…' A jaunty voice made them both cry out startled. Panic actually fell in the Styx in alarm. 'How's it hangin'?'

'Hermes!!' Pain cried out in shock.

'Whatta ya tryin' to do-' Panic spluttered pulling himself out of the river and twisting the water out of his ears. '-kill us?' He glared at the floating blue god.

'Whoa… peace man-' Hermes began but Pain cut him off.

'Wait a minute… what are _you_ doin' in the Underworld?!'

'Yeh… does Hades know your snoopin' around?' Panic added folding his arms crossly.

'Hey, I'm just here on orders… but speaking of his high and flamefulness you guys wouldn't know where I might be able to find him, would ya?' Both imps thought for a moment.

'Well, if he's not in the throne room he might be by the pool of Lethe..' Panic said rubbing his chin.

'Yeh… he's been hangin' out there a lot nowadays.' Pain added nodding.

'Hey thanks fellas…' Hermes replied and shot off down the Styx. '-catcha later.' He added and both imps blinked bemused.

'I wonder what kind of orders he's got?' Panic asked curiously watching the god disappear around the bend.

'Who cares… I hope the boss roasts him for disturbin' him and Miss Persephone.'

'Heh, yehhh…' Panic drawled smirking. 'I'd pay to see that.'

* * *

It had been a good few hours since Hades and Persephone had started drinking by the pool of Lethe, they had moved on from martinis to some really strong spiced nectar Hades had been stashing away for the past three thousand years. The god had been surprised at how much Persephone could drink, must have something to do with her being the sister of the God of Parties…

Hades watched Persephone from his seat, she was wandering idly through the willows near the pool, every so often she'd glance back as if checking he was still watching and smile. After a moment the insane urge to follow her started drumming through his head. Deciding to obey and see where it would lead the god rose to his feet, he shook off the slight spinning sensation in his head he walked over to her.

Persephone was surprised when she felt him grip her waist then spin her around to face him, he didn't say anything to her but a smile spread slowly over his lips. Wordlessly she wrapped her arms around his neck and the two began slowly turning as though taking a silent waltz. For some time they pivoted on the spot with their eyes closed, the only sound came from the thin waterfall above the pool of Lethe.

When they slowly came to a halt Hades felt his head spinning in the same way it had been as they'd shared their first proper kiss, or maybe he just had too much alcohol in his system… Persephone was gazing at him now, her green eyes were shining with love and expectation as her fingers stroked him gently. Then almost as though it were an unspoken mutual decision they began kissing.

Everything seemed to slow right down in the same manner as their first kiss, only this time Hades knew exactly how to get the reactions he wanted. Running his fingers over the right places to make her tremble with pleasure, kissing her the way that always stole her breath then nuzzling her neck in a manner that would make her need him in the same way he needed her. Only once Persephone was breathlessly hanging off him did the god run his fingers down the side of her body and unclip the chiton pin holding her strapless dress together. The black material instantly fell away from her white skin leaving the goddess nude, the only thing left covering her was her long blonde hair. His eyes narrowed and his blue flames rippled at the sight of her.

'Now this is the afterlife…'

…after searching the palace for Hades, Hermes flew out the back entrance and did a double take at the sight of the pool of Lethe. Incredible… the whole area was… well, stunning. No more tacky pool-side scene but a beautiful and rather sinister looking garden… this had to be the work of Persephone, no other god could come up with a scene so dramatic that actually suited the tone of the Underworld. As Hermes gazed around speechless, a rarity for him, his eyes came across a strange yellowy green glow coming from the group of scary-looking willows at the opposite end of the grove.

'What the--?' Hermes sounded curiously and flew in the direction of the light, carefully avoiding the Lethe waterfall. The source of the light seemed to be a large fire made up of blue and yellow flames but the sounds of breathless moaning seemed to be coming directly from something inside it. After a millisecond of gazing at the fire Hermes saw blue and white legs entwined… Hermes blinked feeling a sense of dread as the familiar outline of a tiny white body was partially laid over another dangerously familiar body of blue. Hermes flew back in horror as the truth of what he was witnessing sunk in… then he yelled out in a mixture of revulsion and disbelief.

'_Holy mother of Zeus!!_'

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey everybody, Xmas is nearly here so I thought rather than be cruel and keep you waiting I'd post this chap now and hopefully I'll have some reviews for Xmas…

First off Hades being kind to the imps is a rarity isn't it? I think he once said 'good job' to them but I always imagined that they'd find a nice Hades much scarier than the nasty one (at least with the nasty one they know what to expect)…

Hades comes clean about the reason for his night-terrors then he and Persephone get wasted. (like I said before this is a carrying on theme and he doesn't deal with this until much later)

Finally Charon has a little personality, it's the first time since chap 3 he's made an appearance but he'll probably pop in and out of the story as he's needed.

It took me ages to come up with an interesting way for Hermes to discover Persephone and Hades… you'll just have to wait until next time to see how the pair react to being caught in the act…

Take care peeps… Lot's of Love Ditzy xXx


	24. A Sharp Bolt into Reality

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Twenty-four:A sharp Bolt into Reality**_

'_Hermes_!!' Hades bellowed sitting up and glaring at the tiny blue intruder. At the same time Persephone squealed out in surprise, gazing like a startled rabbit she clutched her beloved god closely covered only by her thick golden hair.

The Messenger God had seen many unexpected sights in his time, but seeing his best friend nude and entwined in the arms of the Lord of the Underworld was just one sight too many for the speedy blue god to handle. He felt as if he'd just been winded, his breath was ragged and he clutched his chest spinning away and gagged…

'Holy Hera…' Hermes forced the words out feeling suddenly light-headed, like he was about to pass out but the god merely wobbled vaguely on the spot before regaining control.

'Seph… your here?' Hermes turned to Persephone who was staring at him with a fierce blush on her cheeks while her arms were still wrapped around her lover's neck…

'Ok, now lemmie just ask _you_ somethin'…' Hades spoke in a light tone making Hermes jump, he'd almost forgotten that the god was there… the Lord of the Underworld was looking at him barely controlling the rage which Hermes could sense emulating from the goddess' flame-haired lover… his eyes narrowed and his skin suddenly changed to red… '-_what the blazes are ya doing down here?!_' Hades roared enraged as his yellow flames erupted, at the same time Persephone's aura brightened. It was glowing star-white around the edges of her skin, protecting her from being burnt by Hades' flames.

'Whoa… hold your fire babe-' Hermes replied nervously grinning at the red-skinned god. '-I'm here on behalf of Zeus-'

'Zeus?' Hades repeated and instantly the flames died down as the god returned to blue. Not taking his eyes off Hermes the fiery god snapped his finger and both he and Persephone were dressed, then he disentangled himself from her grip.

'So… what does Bolt Boy want now, huh?' The Lord of the Underworld's yellow eyes narrowed as he advanced on Hermes. 'Was banishing me not enough, that it? Now Mr High and Mighty wants to stick his bolts where they _don't_ _belong_!!' Hades was working himself into a rage again, his skin was slowly turning orange. '-Well I got news for ya _babe_… Zeus has no jurisdiction here, _ya got that?_!' Hermes floated back slowly, there was no reasoning with the god when he was like this, then the tiny blue god's eyes caught Persephone watching them both wide-eyed…

'Uh… Seph…' The Messenger God sounded timidly as a large fireball appeared in Hades' long fingers. '-how 'bout a little help here honey…'

'Sweetie…' Persephone flashed her other half an alluring smile . '-maybe we should just here him out first…' The effect her words had on Hades was immediate; at once the god turned blue and snuffed the fireball in his hand. Hermes blinked in amazement at how well the god could control his temper around Persephone…

'Ya got five seconds…' Hades shot at the Messenger God still eyeing him with distrust.

'Well… the thing is…' Hermes began unsurely wishing there was an easier way to break the news to the clueless couple… why did he always have to be the barer of bad news? '-everybody's under the impression that you kidnapped Persephone…' Amazingly Hades didn't explode at the news.

'_What_?!' The Lord of the Underworld sounded alarmed then turned with a confused expression to Persephone. 'What happened to tellin' Demeter ya were here?' He asked and she shrugged with an uneasy look.

'Uh… musta slipped my mind…' She sounded apologetically.

'Oh _Seph_…' Hades sounded exasperated and slapping his face.

'I'm sorry…' She said with pleading eyes looking at her other half who was shaking his head in disbelief. '..I wanted to, I really did… but then, so many things started happening at once and I guess… I just… kinda forgot.' Persephone tailed off still gazing beseechingly at the fiery god. Hermes looked blankly at the pair completely lost.

'Unbelievable…' Hades uttered rolling his eyes, so now Demeter was going to be vying for his blood… just what he needed.

'In my defence…' Persephone added turning to Hermes. '-when nobody came down after the first two months I thought you guys were ok with this.'

'_Two_ _months_?!' Hermes gasped incredulous then asked as though dreading the answer, 'Ok babe, just how long have you been down here?' Persephone bit her lip before answering in a nervous voice.

'About… seven months, give or take a week or two…' For a moment Hermes was speechless as his brain tried to take in this new information.

'So…' He turned slowly around to Hades who was smirking, clearly relishing the fact that the tiny blue god was having trouble digesting the truth. '-you didn't kidnap Persephone nine days ago from Sicily?'

'Whaa--?' Hades blinked in amazement then shook his head firmly. 'Whoa, whoa… Hermes bud, I'm a lotta things but a goddess snatcher?' The god smirked. 'C'mon… ya know me better than that..' Hermes sighed with relief at this… at least that proved Hecate's story wrong but it didn't answer why she was saying he had.

'And you guys can't think of anything that would make Hecate think you had-?'

'Hecate?!' Hades repeated then narrowed his eyes. 'How about… she hates my guts, huh? That a good enough reason?!' He snarled as hatred for the witch grew.

'What about our evening in my grove?' Persephone asked making Hades look at her, he then rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

'Well… I suppose your scream could've attracted her…' He mused thoughtfully.

'-and seeing me slung over your shoulder might have given her the wrong impression.' Persephone added smiling sweetly.

'Oooh… sounds like a fun evening.' Hermes said slyly wiggling his brows.

'_Shut it!!_' Hades rounded on him. The messenger god backed away from the fiery god and bumped into Persephone.

'Careful.' She giggled freely. Hermes blinked at his best friend as she gazed at him smiling with that wide girly smile he knew so well. She was dressed in true Underworld style, extremely tight black strapless chiton, grey eye-shadow and cherry lips.

Suddenly both Hermes and Persephone squealed out and hugged each other tight. As the two tiny deities spun around excited Hades sighed rolling his eyes again.

'Well there go my plans for this evenin'… oy…'

'Oh my gods… I missed you!' Hermes cried out taking in his best friend.

'I missed you too!' Persephone squealed in the same excitable tone.

'We have so much to catch up on…'

'We sure do!' Persephone beamed at him. 'Can you stay for a cuppa nectar?'

'Better make it decaf babe… ya know what that stuff does to me…' He smirked making the goddess giggle.

'Heh, yeh… I remember…' She then turned to Hades. 'You don't mind do you sweetie?'

'Nahhh…' The fiery god smirked hooking Persephone's chin and tilting it upwards to him gently. '-go ahead baby, I got some paperwork to take care of anyway.' He pecked her on the lips before vanishing in a curl of smoke.

* * *

When Hermes finally tore himself away from his best friend. He returned to the big cloud but the news he brought with him shocked all the gods…

Zeus had never once questioned the will of the Fates before… even when Hercules was found mortal and living on a farm, the Lord of Olympus had always had unwavering belief that his son would return to him, and he'd been right… but this? Even Zeus had his doubts about the idea of Persephone wanting to stay in the Underworld willingly, why would she so openly commit to his youngest brother? The god found it impossible to believe that Hades hadn't somehow manipulated the situation to his advantage, he was good at that.

Mind you, his and Persephone's relationship was far from peachy, the Lord of Olympus had never set out to alienate Demeter's daughter… but ever since a misunderstanding that resulted in the death of her father the young goddess had shown him a cold shoulder, Zeus had even decided to 'adopt' Persephone as his daughter… a move that both Demeter and Hera had approved of but still she had made no attempt to even acknowledge him as an authority figure… the goddess wanted nothing to do with him…

The Nature Goddess had rushed to see Zeus on hearing that the god had heard from Persephone… however the news was not what she wanted to hear.

'Whadda you mean your not going to do anything about it?!'

'Believe me Demeter… there is nothing I'd like more than demand the return of your daughter but unfortunately my hands are tied… Hades is at liberty to have whoever he likes stay with him in the Underworld-' Zeus then muttered darkly to himself, '…I knew giving him power of attorney over _that realm _was going to come back and haunt me…'

'But she's my daughter!!' The Nature Goddess roared.

'She's of age… she's staying there of her own free will, if she weren't it would be a whole different story…' He spoke in a slow measured tone trying to hide his disappointment that he wasn't going to smite Hades anytime soon… everybody else had an easy job compared to him, being the ruler of Olympus just wasn't what everybody thought it was.

'So that's it?!' Demeter squawked outraged.

'Demeter please, you don't understand-' Zeus started but the goddess cut him off.

'No!!' She snapped turning away feeling the tears forming. 'If this is how I get treated for all my centuries of loyalty then fine… I quit!' The goddess proclaimed making Zeus gasp in horror.

'You can't be serious…' He said in disbelief, gazing at her as though seeing her plainly for the first time.

'I've never been more serious in my life Zeus!' She snarled turning around glaring at the god. 'While Cora is in the Underworld with that vile twisted excuse for a god… I won't lift a finger to aid the crops!' Without another word Demeter vanished into her bright orange tulip leaving Zeus alone in his large golden throne. Although Zeus sympathized with Demeter's situation he couldn't help thinking that the goddess was overreacting… yes, he'd behaved in the same manner when finding the Hercules had been kidnapped but he had calmed down when he'd found out that Hercules was being taken care of… Demeter wasn't serious about quitting, once she'd calmed down and come to terms with the situation everything would be back to normal… right?

* * *

'Wakey wakey sweetie…' A soft familiar voice punctured Hades' sleep making him stir, unsure if he'd actually heard it or not the god grunted slightly before rolling onto his side with a slight smile.

Persephone smiled at him, he did look kind of cute laid there sucking his thumb… well, if he wasn't going to get up this called for drastic measures…

Hades' smile widened as he felt soft kisses raining down on his face. As much fun as it would be to let her lay on the kisses, the god knew it would only last until Persephone hit him with a pillow… definitely not what he wanted right now, there was only one thing for it. He pulled his thumb out his mouth then swivelled his head around as Persephone lent in to kiss his cheek, then before she could do anymore than squeak in surprise Hades quickly wrapped her in his arms and pinned her to the bed.

'Y'know… you should wake me this way more often…' He purred narrowing his eyes leering playfully at his beautiful missus who lay beneath him. Her hair was fanned out over the black pillows like long golden flames. Her eyes were narrowed as she smiled lazily back.

'Hmmmm… will I get this kind of response if I do?' She asked in a sultry tone leaning up so her slightly puckered lips were inches from his. Sliding his long fingers over the now familiar contours of his missus' body, Hades' smirk widened before he answered her question with a passionate kiss…

…after a long and lazy morning Persephone wrapped herself in the black bedsheets before turning around to Hades who was laid out taking a relaxed drag of his cigar.

'So, what's the plan for today?' The goddess sighed snuggling into the fiery god who slipped his arm around her and hummed thoughtfully.

'Well, as much as I'd love to play hookey once more…' He sighed sending cigar smoke everywhere, Persephone's nostrils twitched as she took in it's familiar smell as a small smile curled her lips, she connected the smell with Hades… the god continued on as though he hadn't noticed. '-unfortunately, we're both waay behind with work and with the quarterly review due in a few weeks we _need_ to get the figures sorted.' Persephone made a noise of amusement.

'Heh, cracking the whip already are we?' She smiled a sweet and innocent smile which always managed to make Hades leer back in a sinful manner…

'Ya always did like it rough my sweet…' He replied lightly making Persephone narrow her eyes and sit up, the Lord of the Underworld took his last drag and stubbed his cigar out in the ashtray on the bedside table.

'Well before you start 'roughing' me up…' She got out of bed and retrieved her chiton from the floor where it had been thrown. '-I have a surprise for you.' Hades raised his brows intrigued.

'Oh yeh…' He drawled watching his missus get dressed, drinking in the sight with heavy-lidded eyes. Once she'd pinned her chiton together Persephone looked up and smiled at him.

'It's just a little something to say thank you for taking care of Adonis for me…'

'Seph…' Hades smirked as he dressed and snapped on his chiton pin. '-ya didn't have to…' The goddess approached him sliding his pin into place.

'I know… but I wanted to.' She smiled sweetly then took his hand and led him out of the bedroom.

The two of them entered the throne room and Persephone turned to Hades.

'Ok, shut your eyes.' She smiled at him widely. 'Please…' She added when he merely looked unsure. Hades half rolled his eyes then sighed.

'Fiiine… but this better be worth it.' He added with a smirk then shut his eyes. Persephone took a few steps into the room before turning around.

'Hey, no peeking…' She giggled catching the god in the act. Hades instantly shut his eye again and smirked amused. Making sure the god wasn't peeping again Persephone snapped her fingers and her surprise appeared out of a large swirl of orbs.

'Ok… you can look sweetie…' She purred and Hades opened his eyes.

Sitting in front of him was a long sofa-type chair which was black with ornate carvings. Rather than being sat in the seat, Persephone was sprawled out leaning on the back of the chair smiling keenly at him, awaiting his reaction.

'It's a chair…' Hades' face fell slightly feeling disappointed. '-like I don't have enough of them already…'

'Sweetie, this isn't any old chair…' Persephone smiled at amused. '-this is a torture device…' Hades blinked at her in amazement then a smirk crossed his face. 'Bacchus brought it back from India but apparently Zeus didn't find it very amusing…' There was a flash of glee in her eyes which made Hades' smirk widen…

'-so you thought I'd like it.' He finished making Persephone flash him a devious smile. 'So… how's it work?' He asked leaning into her.

'Well, from what Hermes told me… when someone sits in the chair they slowly become attached to the chair which also removes any desire to get up-'

'Heh, no wonder Bolt Boy didn't like it.' Hades interjected amused.

'It's called the Chair of Forgetfulness…' Her eyes narrowed as a sadistic smile played about her lips. '-you getting a visual?' She purred and Hades suddenly grinned back evilly.

'Now there's that nasty little goddess I fell for…' Suddenly both deities turned to the hallway and bellowed at the top of there voices.

'_Pain…!! Panic…!!_'

* * *

Little Notes:

Wow, am I the first post of 2010?? I hope so but if not… nevermind. Happy New year Peeps!!

Man another chapter where there is waay to much going on… heh, I'm good at confusing myself.

Hope you liked the reactions of the god when they were caught in the act… I always imagined Hades would go mental but only restrain himself because of Persephone.

I'm trying to keep Zeus as close to the way Disney has him and I imagine he'd be pretty pissed about this but his job prohibits him from punishing Hades, as for Demeter's reaction, I kept that pretty much as it was in myth…

Those of you who have heard of the Chair of Forgetfulness and the myths surrounding it will probably have some inkling of what is coming but I won't ruin anything for you… I'll just say I'm really enjoying the way this story is going…

Good Luck for the new year… Lots of Love Ditzy xXx


	25. Oh What an Immortal Mess!

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_Dedicated to Remy who read my story at three in the morning… that's enthusiasm but I'd feel guilty if you stayed up just to read it…_

…_also dedicated to my buddy Heddwyn who helped me out with my grammar issues earlier on in this story… thanks xXx_

_**Chapter Twenty-Five:**__**Oh what an Immortal Mess!!**_

Rumours of Persephone's whereabouts and Demeter's proposed strike if her daughter didn't return caused shockwaves around the big cloud. Gods were once again talking amongst themselves, many were divided by their opinions. Most wanted to see the Age of Consent raised as they believed Hades should be forced to return Persephone to the surface, they did not like the idea of Demeter going on strike, what would happen to them if all life died out? With Hades' rebellion involving the Titans still fresh in many gods memories they refused to even comprehend the idea that Persephone could be staying there of her own free will…in their minds the Lord of the Underworld had tricked her into staying with him..

Others believed that since Persephone was of age she had full rights to go down to the Underworld and be with Hades, no matter what the fiery god had done in the past he was still one of the three ruling gods, Persephone could do a lot worse… it might even be good for the Lord of the Underworld to have a missus, she could be a good influence on him…

The gods were still discussing it the next morning in hushed whispers around the open air coliseum while waiting for Zeus to inform them on what they were going to do, Hecate's story of Persephone's kidnap had already slipped into mortal society, all gods knew that once mortals had heard one story it was very difficult to persuade them to change their opinions…

'She was supposed to be my girl!!!' Apollo snarled from the millionth time and slammed his fist into a nearby pillar, he just couldn't understand why Persephone would want to be with Hades in the Underworld. His sister Artemis put a hand on his shoulder with a comforting smile.

'Uh-huh…yeh, you wish Apollo…' Aphrodite sounded from nearby rolling her eyes irritably.

'Seriously, what could she possibly see in _Hades_?!' Artemis suddenly pulled a disgusted face, even her brother was a better prospect in her opinion than that god.

'Oh… eww, _eww_… I don't wanna think about that, its disgusting!' Aphrodite shook her head and tried to blot out the mental image of Persephone and Hades that came to her head.

'What happened to everybody deserves love?' Hephaistos asked his wife and Aphrodite blinked before waving a hand and dismissing his words.

'Oh please… the only person Hades loves is himself; besides Persephone could do _waay_ better than him… he's sucha jerk..'

'Hey… maybe she likes jerks?' Aries sounded smirking. 'That Adonis-guy was a jerk..'

'Yeh but he was a cute jerk…' Aphrodite responded making Hephaistos frown disapprovingly. 'Oh will you relax-' She sighed spotting her husband tensing up. '-from what I've heard the kid's dead now anyway…' The Goddess of Love pulled a nail-file out and checked her nails.

'Well as long as Persephone can handle his temper-' Poseidon started but was cut off by Hermes who had paused on his way to the front of the room.

'Heh, it's Hades who should worry…' The Messenger God smiled amused. '-you ever seen a Demeter-Seph grudge match? Heh, there's a scary sight…'

After a few moments the tiny blue god pulled himself away from their conversation and carried on… Hebe, Harmonia and some of the others were discussing their fears about the Age of Consent being raised. Narcissus didn't look remotely interested in any of the debates as he gazed into his mirror. As Hermes approached the main stage he spotted Heista, Hera and Bacchus who were talking in hushed whispers, the God of Parties seemed to be looking worried.

'She's can't be serious.' The rotund pink god was saying as Hermes approached. 'Ma couldn't live with herself if all the mortals starved…'

'Immortals do some crazy things when they're angry… and you know how your mother prizes Persephone-' Hera responded dully.

'My sister is not a prize!' Bacchus snarled irritated turning away. 'She should be free to live her own life!'

'You know I agree Bacchus but please try to calm down-' Heista said then tried to comfort the pink-skinned god. '-I'm sure Demeter will come to her senses soon…'

'Is everything ok here?' Hermes asked gently.

'Yes…' Hera sighed wearily. '-we're just worried about what would happen if Demeter carries out her strike.'

'You and the rest of the god squad babe… I haven't seen this much gloom in a room since Hades brought the Titans home for that little family reunion..' Hermes added glancing around the coliseum.

'Let's not talk about that!' Hera said firmly. 'Zeus still hasn't forgiven him for that.'

'Sorry hun…' The Messenger God said and the Queen of the Gods softened. 'So… has the big guy got any ideas on how to solve this conundrum yet?'

'If he has Hermes, he's not sharing them with me…' Hera said in a tone that suggested she didn't like being left in the dark.

* * *

All the chatter stopped as Zeus appeared on the stage, the Lord of Olympus looked tired… he'd spent the best part of the night before worrying about what to say to the rest of the Olympian residents, Demeter was a well-respected member of the godly community and although Hades was nothing short of a massive pain in the bolts, where he resided he was indeed ruler and Zeus knew how Hades would respond if anyone tried to take Persephone from him…

For a moment Zeus' blue eyes gazed around the crowd of gods who were eyeing him with concern and discomfort. As he laid eyes on his wife she smiled encouragingly at him.

'My fellow gods…' He finally spoke in a loud clear voice. '-it is with deep regret that I must confirm that the rumours surrounding Demeter and her daughter are true…' He paused as many of the gods gasped and the hissing started up once more. 'However…' Zeus continued loudly and the whispering stopped. '-I will _not_ be holding a vote on changing the Age of Consent.' Many gods looked both disappointed and relieved.

'My reason for doing this is quite simply because that rule has been altered more in the past millennium than any other… Persephone will remain of age, Demeter will just have to learn to face that-'

'But what about her going on strike?' A voice rang out from the crowd cutting Zeus off, there was a ripple of worry from the rest of the gods.

'Yes…' Zeus sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. 'Demeter has indeed threatened to strike until her daughter returns… I promise you now that I will do everything in my power to try and persuade Demeter to reconsider… after all, my son is mortal.' He suddenly looked worried himself as his mind thought of Hercules, if only he had the power to turn Meg immortal too…

The whispering had started as Zeus tailed off, many gods hadn't even considered Hercules in the grand scheme of things.

'I do not want anybody to devise a rescue mission to retrieve Persephone…' Zeus suddenly looked up and glared in the direction of Aries. '-snatching the young goddess out from underneath Hades could be considered an act of war on the Underworld…'

'Told you so…' Athena whispered smugly at the her brother who'd been working on a rescue plan.

'Ah shuddup..' He snarled crossly ripping up the plans and pulled a sulky pout. Athena merely looked amused before turning back to Zeus.

'-let's not give Hades any reason to plot against us.' He continued to look firmly around the group for a moment before his features relaxed. 'We need to handle this in a mature and diplomatic fashion, we are not Titans… we cannot have wars and quarrelling between gods over this matter, if we remain united I'm sure the matter can be resolved without the mortals becoming too aware of the situation.'

As the gods resumed talking Zeus made a beeline for Hera and Hermes who were waiting for him.

'Hermes…' The Lord of Olympus said smiling at him. 'I want you to go and inform Hercules of the situation before he hears that kidnap story and concocts some hair-brained scheme to go down to the Underworld and rescue Persephone…' He sighed heavily wrapping an arm wearily around his wife. '-I don't want my son anywhere near Hades..'

'You got it chief…' Hermes said saluting and zipped off. As the Messenger God disappeared Hera smiled at her husband.

'Do you really think he'd try to rescue Persephone?' She asked him and Zeus smirked turning to his wife.

'He's a hero… that's what they do.'

* * *

Meg had always tried to be supportive of her boyfriend's hero career but she did sometimes feel a little neglected because she had to share Hercules with hoards of screaming teenage girls… not that she minded to much as Hercules only had eyes for her. The one thing Meg hadn't been prepared for was the media attention that came with dating the most famous man in Greece. She was not usually a shrinking violet but Meg found herself shying away from the news reporters who were always keen to get the latest on the couple.

However, she found the most annoying thing about dating Hercules was Phil; there had always been tension between the pushy coach and the feisty Meg but the friction had increased after the trouble with Hades. Phil had always been protective of Hercules although the young hero had forgiven Meg and Pegasus was too feather-brained to hold a grudge against her, she found that Phil was still wary of her. When she'd shared this concern with her boyfriend Hercules had merely smiled then reassured her that his coach was cautious of most people.

That morning Meg was lounging around the large swimming pool of her boyfriend's luxury villa on the outskirts of Thebes. She straightened her sunglasses as she stretched out in her two piece lilac bathing suit soaking up the suns rays and sighing.

A wolf whistle broke the silence making Meg sit up, yank her sunglasses off and glare around for the sick pervert who was spying on her.

'Lookin' good girlfriend.' A voice sounded drawing her violet eyes upwards to Hermes who was sat on the statue nearest the pool.

'Well, well… if it isn't the peeping god.' Meg smirked raising an eyebrow amused.

'Heh, I've seen things that you couldn't even dream of honey…' Hermes smiled widely then glancing around the pool. 'So is the man of steel around?' He asked glancing around for Hercules.

'He and Phil are having a meeting.' She smiled getting to her feet and wrapping a plum coloured sarong around her hips.

'Oh… well I can hang around until their done-'

'Why wait?' Meg flashed the god a mischievous smile. 'I love having an excuse to make the nanny-goat go berserk.' She winked at Hermes then gestured him to follow.

'Meow.' The Messenger God smirked then followed her.

Phil was pacing while reading off the week's schedule, apparently beating a full grown manticore had been good for business.

…and they want you to appear in the Olympic Games, not to compete or anything but just show support to the athletes that are taking part… maybe do a wrestling demonstration or something-' Phil's voice broke off and he turned around as Meg burst through the door. Hercules who had been using one of his hand weights while pretending to listen to his coach looked around with a wide smile, this was definitely a welcome distraction... Apparently Phil didn't agree.

'What's the matter sweet-cheeks, you run out of lemonade-'

'Can it Mutton Man…' Meg cut him off then turned to her boyfriend. 'Herc, someone's is here to see you.' She smiled sweetly as Hermes appeared in the room.

'Oh great…' Phil muttered to himself. '-just who we need, Mr If-It-Ain't-Too-Nutty…' He shook his head wearily.

'Chill out Phil… ' Hermes raised his brow amused before turning to Hercules and Meg. 'Hey Herc, long time no see buddy. Nice job on that manticore, Zeus was very impressed…'

'Really?' Hercules said smiling widely.

'Oh don't act so shocked Wonder Boy…' Meg nudging him with her hip then rolled her eyes playfully.

'Uhh… Listen guys I don't know if you've heard the news or not but we've finally found Persephone…' Both Meg and Hercules exchanged a surprised glance and Phil looked shocked. Hermes paused then launched into the events of the last two days as the three mortals listened wide-eyed in shock. Once he'd finished telling them the story there was a long period of silence followed as they digested the news.

'She's in the Underworld?!' Hercules suddenly burst out stunned.

'Well no wonder nobody could find her on the surface…' Phil sounded then turned to Hermes. 'So how'd Demeter take the news?' He looked concerned, it was common knowledge to satyrs and nymphs how much the Goddess of Nature prized her daughter.

'Not well… but Zeus is going to try and talk her around.'

'Heh, good luck.' Phil uttered remembering his run in with the goddess a few years back.

'What is she doing with a guy like Hades?!' Meg suddenly burst out horrified.

'Trust me honey… ya don't wanna know.' Hermes said shivering as a flashback appeared in his head.

'Oh, I think I wanna hurl!' Meg clamped a hand over her mouth and turned away and gagged.

'Yeh… I know how ya feel babe.' Hermes sounded sympathetically. 'Oh hey, I gotta run… catcha later cats…' He winked and vanished in a blue blur out of the window as his Hercules and his family waved him off.

'Hey, maybe this is a good thing.' Hercules said lightly turning to his missus.

'Since when was Hades settling down and producing a whole bunch of 'little Hadeses' considered a good thing?' Meg turned looking sceptical at her boyfriend.

'Well, he can't get any worse can he?' The hero shrugged.

'Wonder Boy, sometimes I wonder if your for real…' She sighed heavily.

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey Everybody, pretty straightforward chap revealing how both Gods and Hercules react to the truth about Persephone and Hades.

This chap brings out a little on Meg coping with the fame of life with Hercules, I haven't done much writing on Meg so I thought it fitting to have a little bit on her as I'm actually quite close personality wise to her (I'm just slightly more perky).

Writing Zeus' speech to the gods was quite hard, I had to make some references to the George Bush speech on the 9/11 attacks and something I read in a story of Persephone and Hades once… I think it came off quite well…

Oh, and in answer to the suggestion that I move my story to the Hercules section of Cartoons… yes I have considered moving it but in the interests of H.o.T.T (it's sister story) I have decided to keep it here rather than make those who need it for reference purposes traipse all over the site looking for it (a lot of my readers are anonymous so I'd like to keep it easy for them) but perhaps once that story is finished I will move it over… ok?

Take care until next time… Lots of Love Ditzy xXx


	26. Oh no, not Another Hero!

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Twenty-Six: **__**Oh No, not Another Hero!!**_

It had been five weeks since Hercules had taken down the manticore but he was still the only thing the newscrolls could go on about and his appearance at the Olympic Games had pushed his popularity up further, if that was possible… didn't they have any _real_ news? Theseus scowled at the headline then snorted and threw his copy of the Greekly World News down on the ground with contempt…

The young King of Athens had once been a hero but his career had been cut short because of the death of his father Aigues. On the return from his defeat of the minotaur Theseus and his crew had been so busy celebrating the young prince's success that they had forgotten to change the black sails to white, as a result the old king had seen the sails then distraught with grief, believing that his son was dead, had thrown himself into the sea and drowned… the memory of his death still haunted Theseus two years after it had happened… if only he'd remembered to change the sails, then maybe his father would still be around today and he'd still be considered a hero, he'd be out there having the time of his life, just like Hercules… and he wouldn't have to put up with the annoying presence of _Phil_…

Theseus' eyes narrowed automatically at the thought of his former coach, the old satyr had always been such a nag. He had constantly ruined Theseus' good times with his stupid 'hero rules'. What was the point in being a hero if you had to follow a bunch of idiotic rules? Needless to say, this caused many arguments between the pair. Every opponent had been like a game to Theseus and he always went in with a barrel full of confidence, how he beat the guy wasn't important, as long as he beat him and his pride remained in tact he would sleep easy… well he would have if Phil hadn't been there going on about 'ethics over arrogance' and 'how fools rushed in without a battle plan'. It got boring listening to the old satyr's lectures and after much quarrelling Theseus was not sorry to see the back of him…

The summer season had officially started now but Theseus and his friend Peirithous, who was visiting from Lapith, couldn't help but notice the change in weather compared to previous years. Usually the summer brought warm breezes, seemingly endless days of sunshine with brief light showers which quenched the land. But this year… it seemed that summer was going to be late this year..

Instead of basking in the warm sunshine the two friends remained in the gazebo just outside the palace. This way if it rained, as screwed up seasons were prone to heavy showers, they would remain dry. Peirithous who was sitting opposite his best friend lifted his brows as Theseus snorted with contempt at the headline on the newscroll and tossed it to the ground. Curious to see what had irritated the young king Peirithous stretched forward and snatched up discarded roll of parchment. His sandy coloured eyebrows shot up further at the headline on the Greekly World News: **Man of Might still Matchless: How will Hero Fall?**

Peirithous smiled briefly at it then lowered the newscroll and turned to his best friend who was faced away pouting sulkily.

'Still pining for your hero days, huh?' Peirithous sounded slightly amused by Theseus' mood. The former hero turned back towards his friend and frowned.

'You don't understand…' He sighed heavily as his face relaxed and he snatched up a bunch of grapes. '-I hate this place.' Theseus glared momentarily at the small purple grape in his hand. Peirithous watched his friend wide-eyed, before he could think how to respond Theseus spoke again.

'I shouldn't be here. I should be-' He stood up and gestured wildly to the distant boundaries of his high garden wall. '-out there doing what Hercules is doing! Not stuck here running a country!!' Peirithous gazed at his friend.

'It's not fair!' Theseus scowled. 'One second you're the greatest man in the world…the next second-' His fingers squeezed the grape in between them, it's dark juice ran down his hand and landed in droplets on the tiled floor. '-your old man's dead and your stuck ruling a kingdom that you didn't even _want_!!' Suddenly the muscled youth dropped to his knees and bowed his head. 'I never wanted to be a king…' Finally Peirithous smiled at Theseus.

'I know… but if you hadn't become a king, we'd have never met.' He said soothingly as Theseus wiped his hands before lifting his head and peering at his friend.

'Yeh… you tried to rob me of my cows.' He finally responded smirking.

'Gotta keep you on your toes somehow…' Peirithous sniggered amused.

'Tell me.' The King of Athens tilted his head. 'Why didn't I punish you for that?'

'Because my father would have seen it as an act of war…' Peirithous smiled wickedly.

'Ahhh, yes…' Theseus mused then the smile returned. 'I remember now…' The King of Athens nodded slowly as the memories returned.

Theseus had not long taken his father's place as king when he found his cattle being raided and was determined to catch the robber red-handed… amazingly when the former hero finally caught the thief he discovered that it was a young prince named Peirithous. After spending the afternoon talking they learnt that they had a few things in common; Peirithoos too had a sense of adventure and had intended to go travelling when his schooling had ended… a year after the meeting, Peirithoos' father Ixion angered Zeus and been sent to Tartarus leaving his son with the throne. However unlike his new-found friend Theseus, the young prince of Lapith accepted his new role with ease saying that the adventures would come with being a king… so what could have started out badly between two large states of Greece actually resulted in Athens and Lapith becoming great allies.

'Whatta you say we drink to the good old days?' Peirithous smiled pouring them both a goblet of wine. 'When life was simple…' He raised his drink to his partner.

'Cheers.' Theseus smiled back taking his goblet and chinking it with Peirithoos and the two kings necked their drinks.

* * *

Considering how all of the upper world was relying on some sort of divine miracle on Demeter's part, it could be said that the Lord of the Underworld and his missus had also been having an interesting last five weeks. At first they'd both been a little nervous when they thought perhaps Zeus might come down and demand the return of Persephone, Hades may be the ruler of the Underworld but even he was powerless to ignore a Zeus decree, especially after his stunt with the Titans last year. However after two weeks of waiting nervously for some kind of retribution they dropped their guard, perhaps the other gods were actually fine with them being a couple. Of course they were basing this entire theory on the fact that nobody had come to visit them since Hermes had 'interrupted' them all those weeks ago and no news was good news… or at least, that's what Hades thought.

Persephone on the other hand seemed to be more concerned about her mother not visiting, it was not like Mrs Large and In-Charge not to shove her oar in her daughter's life. After sixty years of constant smothering from her mother Persephone found it hard to accept the idea of Demeter turning over a new leaf… it seemed too good to be true. She couldn't help but wonder if the Fates were leading them on, after all they'd messed up her life as much as Hades'. But then even if that was the case, they should enjoy the peace while they had it…

As the weeks progressed and things settled back to normal in the Underworld. As it was now officially summer the souls would be few and there would be long periods where the realm was quite literally, dead to the world. In this time Hades was usually found having a 'summer clean out' or browsing the latest torture catalogues for some inspiration, should… with any luck, a new recruit for Tartarus arrive. However, for once the torture mags remained unthumbed by the fiery god as he still had the Chair of Forgetfulness that Persephone had given him. After testing it out on the imps and then laughing at the frozen facial expressions of terror as they slowly became glued to the chair. Hades was itching to try out the chair for real but he didn't want just any idiots in the chair, oh no. it had to be someone special… luckily, the Fates had just the pair in mind.

* * *

Ask any god and they'll tell you, a pitcher of wine and a bad idea is a never a good thing. Even the almighty Zeus cringes when he thinks vaguely back to when Bacchus had first invented the stuff. He'd got completely wasted then for some reason jumped onto a table while waving a thunderbolt and proclaiming at the top of his voice,

'Hey everybody! Look what I can do!!' The Lord of Olympus had then stumbled, accidentally letting go of the bolt of lightning and it had sailed down to the surface blowing up Pompeii, instantly killing thousands. Most of the gods had gasped in horror at this, but not Hades. Instead he had cracked up with hysterics then waved his brother off.

'Hey Bolt Boy!! Ya sure know how to make the party go out with a bang!!' Unfortunately for Zeus, this was the best memory Hades had of any godly get together so he wasn't ever allowed to forget it.

It was also in the case of Theseus and Peirithous, that a pitcher of wine was present as they entered their particular ill-fated conversation.

'Aww…' Theseus slurred as he leaned into his friend. 'How come…' He tailed off trying to articulate his words, a challenge for any man when drunk. '-how come your not married?' Peirithous squinted at his friend then smiled a drunken little grin.

'I'll… letcha in on a little secret…' He tailed off swaying slightly before jabbing a finger and slumping back in his seat. 'I'm savin' maself..' He sounded rolling his head around to his friend. Theseus suddenly erupted into sniggers.

'Savin yourself…' He repeated amused. 'Why? Are all the Lapith women ugly?' Peirithous scowled as his friend continued to laugh.

'No…' He sounded defensively. '-there not ugly…' Peirithous paused and considered Theseus for a moment. 'is that why… _your_ not married? Cause all Athenian women are ugly?' Theseus stopped laughing at this then shook his head…

'Nah, I haven't seen a girl I like yet.' He responded as Peirithous squinted at him.

'You're a beautiful man, y'know that…' He sounded finally and Theseus started sniggering again.

'Heh, if your comin' on to me Peirs.. I ain't interested.' He laughed harder at this and collapsed back into his seat.

'I'm serious man..' Peirithous sounded before sitting up slowly so he wouldn't feel dizzy. '-you're the best looking man I know… you deserve a wife as good-looking as yourself…'

'I know…' Theseus sighed. '-but nobody in my kingdom is worthy of being my queen.'

'Yeh… that's how I feel about Lapith women…' Peirithous agreed vaguely.

'We should go on a quest to find ourselves the best wives.' Theseus sounded slumping down onto the arm of his couch. He then scowled briefly before adding, '-but no mortal women…'

'Wait… what?' Peirithous blinked several times.

'You get with a mortal woman…' Theseus slurred firmly. '-and she leaves ya… she leaves ya when some _god_ comes sniffing around.' He scowled to himself vaguely thinking of Adriane.

'No way, yes… hell yes!' Peirithous suddenly grinned moronically. 'Yeh, man… you're a freakin' genius…' Theseus who was now resting his head on the arm waved his hand vaguely in the air as though acknowledging his own greatness.

'I know…' He sounded faintly, muffled slightly by the couch.

'-we'll get _immortal_ women…' Peirithoos sat up sobering with excitement at the plan. 'We should aim high! How about nymphs-'

'We can do better than _nymphs_!' Theseus' lifted his head up sounding scornful at the thought of having a nymph bride.

'Yeh, yeh… we can have goddesses… we're good-lookin' enough for them..' He paused thinking then a light seemed to go off in his head. Theseus peered bleary-eyed at his best friend for a long time as he gazed off slack-jawed and cloudy-eyed.

'What?' He sounded irritated by the silent treatment. 'What is it?' The King of Athens reached around then chucked a pillow at his best friend's head. 'Hello… earth to Peirs… drachma for your thought dude..' Peirithous snapped out of his trance and beamed at his best friend.

'You want the best looking girls in the cosmos right?' He grinned at Theseus who rolled his eyes.

'Well I sure don't want your grandma..' He responded sarcastically. Peirithous ignored this and carried on.

'Then let's get daughter's of Zeus!' He declared making Theseus grin widely.

'See.. That's what I'm talkin' about man!' He rubbed his hands together. 'Who'd ya have in mind?'

'Well…' Peirithoos smirked. 'I heard this one daughter got kidnapped…'

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey Everybody, I stayed up really late writing this for you so I'm gonna be knackered for work so please find it in your hearts to review.

Ahh, yes… those of you who know your myths probably saw this coming the second I mentioned the Chair of Forgetfulness in chap 24. This is one of my favourite Hades/Persephone myths but please don't flame me for ignoring the fact that these two were looking to replace their wives in the original myth… this is Disney peeps, they screwed up first…

Ok, I also mentioned in an earlier chapter that Zeus adopted Persephone as a daughter after her father died, I'm just fanning the belief in my story that… maybe mortals don't know that.

Take care peeps I'm off to bed now.. Lot's of Love Ditzy xXx


	27. Is this really Love or just a Game?

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Twenty-Seven:Is this really Love or just a Game?**_

Hecate returned to her grotto on the far side of the Underworld. After four weeks of listening to Demeter slag off Hades she was ready to go home, but the Goddess of Nature wouldn't let her leave without her swearing by the Styx that she'd check up on Persephone who was stuck in the Underworld.

It wasn't a promise the witch wanted to make for several reasons...

...alpha... swearing by the Styx was not something you did lightly, if you broke your promise the river goddess Styx would unleash a terrible wrath on you... something the witch wanted to aviod at all costs...

...beta, Hades.... the Lord of the Underworld was one of the most suspicious deities in the cosmos and since he and Hecate didn't like each other, he'd want Persephone as far away as possible from the witch... it was also unfortunate that Hades was the only deity that had the power to ward off an enraged Styx... life was such a pain sometimes...

...gamma, Persephone herself... the witch wasn't thrilled by the prospect of having to talk to Demeter's bratty child. When Persephone was younger they'd got on fine, Hecate had even taught her some witchcraft, but that changed when her relationship with her mother fell apart after the death of her father. Now when they had to spend time together it was forced upon them and Hecate always got the impression that the young goddess would much rather be somewhere else...

...oh the many joys of her life... why did she get the distinct impression that the Fates were laughing at her? Still, a promise was a promise... and Demeter was her friend so Hecate knew she had no choice...

So for a whole week Hecate kept tabs on Persephone, trying to work out when the best time to talk to the young goddess was. It was going to be difficult as from what her occasional glimpses of Demeter's daughter proved, the Lord of the Underworld liked to keep her very close to him. There was rarely a moment she was seen without him. This was going to be a problem she had to work around as Hecate wanted to speak to Persephone without Hades interfering, at least that way she could work out what was making the young goddess stay in the Underworld... Perhaps she'd try and see Persephone while she was greeting the new arrivals on the Styx docks. Figures Hades would give her a job, you never got something for nothing with that guy...

* * *

Hades woke first that morning, drawn out of his sleep by the same nightmares about the Vortex of Fire, they'd been less frequent ever since he'd told Persephone the truth but they were still able to wrench him awake with fear. Glancing over at Persephone he found her still asleep next to him. She was curled up and cuddled into the crook of his arm with a faint ghost of a smile on her lips. Hades smiled at her vaguely wondering what she was dreaming about as she looked so peaceful next to him.

As he gazed at her he began to feel an overwhelming desire to touch her. Softly, so he wouldn't wake her, he ran his thumb over her cheek and her serene smile widened slightly at his touch. She was so soft as always, her skin felt like flower petals. He ran his golden eyes over her face, taking in her gorgeous features and taking in the scent of her skin, it was always so inviting... then, unable to resist temptation anymore, he lent forward and began trailing kisses down her face, along her jaw and down her throat... Persephone stirred at this point and her eyes fluttered open, feeling both surprised and pleasently amorous she responded to his kissing eagerly... it would take them an hour before they would consider getting out of bed...

...then they decided to share a steamy bath together, which passed another hour...

It was very late in the morning by the time Hades and Persephone finally showed up in the throne room.

'So...' Hades sighed wrapping his arms around her waist once more. '-while the imps and I get the reveiw out the way, you'll do they rounds..'

'Mmm hmm..' Persephone sounded faintly and nodding, she then leaned in for a goodbye kiss... this lead to another, then another...

'Now..' The young goddess sighed, knowing where this would lead if she didn't break it off. I really..' Another kiss. '-_really_ have to go.' She half closed her eyes smiling weakly, she seemed to be having a little trouble convincing herself to let go of the handful of his chiton in her fingers.

'I'll come find ya when the meeting's over and we'll do lunch.' Hades responded raising his brows amused by her reluctance to leave.

'Ok..' Persephone finally sighed pulling away from him then snatching up her purple clipboard and pheniox quill from the chessboard behind her. She then swooped into Hades and pecked his lips as she swirled out into white orbs. Hades sighed taking in Persephone's flowery perfume which still hung in the air after she'd gone. He then shook himself roughly before spinning around and heading towards the board room where the imps would be waiting for him, hopefully this wasn't going to take _all_ day...

* * *

Persephone finally appeared by the emtpy docks to the Styx after first checking the Pool of Lethe and the Asphodel Fields for new arrivals. As she perched herself down on the jetty waiting for Charon to appear, but the young goddess had no idea that at the other end of the river the skeletal boatman had an unwanted guest.

Charon looked the immortal before him up and down with curiousity while still retaining a measure of disdain about him.

'Your not welcome in these parts...' He finally spoke gravely. '-be gone before the boss catches you skulking about.' Turning away the skeletal boatman slumped down into the black gondola and pulled out a newscroll from underneith his seat. The immortal who was still stood there scowled and placed her bony hands in her slim hips.

After a few moments of waiting Hecvate cleared her throat irritably.

'I told you witch..' Charon sounded without looking round. '-I ain't taking you across..'

'Fine..' Hecate sighed with a defeated look then turned away. '-but when the goddess Styx asks why I didn't keep my promise i'll be sure to tell her who it was that held me back.' With a slightly devious smile the witch began to walk away.

'Whoa, whoa.. hold on an olive-pickin' minute-' Charon souded frantically making Hecate stop after only a few paces. '-_Styx?!_ I don't need that kind of trouble..'

'So... you'll let me cross?' The witch asked turning back with an innocent look.

'Alright, alright..' Charon sounded defeatedly but still scowling all the same. '-I'll letcha cross the freakin' river...' He shook his head in disbelief then stepped out of the way to let her pass. '-why do I let myself get talked into these things...' He muttered irratably while taking the witch's silver. Hecate smiled serenely as he settled herself into the boat.

So..' Charon sounded as he pushed the boat out into the river. '-what kind of promise didja make by the Styx?' Hecate eyed him with distrust for a moment then frowned.

'It's none of your business.' She sounded sharply before turning away again.

'Sheesh... just tryin' to make conversation-' Charon uttered shaking his head again then added under his breath, '- you miserable old witch..'

By the docks of the Styx Persephone had grown bored and started doodling on the back of one of the New Arrival forms. As the long black boat appeared on the horizon the young goddess quickly ripped the scroll with her doodles off and screwed it up and stood up ready to greet the new arrival. But as the boat grew closer the goddess paused and stared at the the passanger wide-eyed with shock... not only were they very much alive but they were also immortal...

Persephone recognised the immortal being on the boat immediately, how could she not? With her sleek silver horned headdress, long flowing navy robes asnd long thin blue torch of blue fire, she was hardly somebody you could forget in a hurry. Besides, Hecate was one of her mother's dearest friends... this last thought made Persephone wonder what it was the witch wanted and she watched Charon bring the boat in with a slight crease between her brows.

Well look at you...' Hecate sounded ignoring the young goddess' less than entusiastic welcome but taking in her tight black chiton and gothic make-up. '-you look sooo... _grown up_.'

'Thanks..' Persephone eventually sounded smiling faintly. 'So..what brings you to this side of the Underworld?' She added leaning back against a tall pole sticking out of the muddy river bed.

'I wanted to see how you were doing my dear..' Hecate responded smoothly still smiling at her.

'Well I'm fine...' Persephone nodded still smiling that faint mysterious smile and tilting her head to one side while studying the witch in front of her. 'He didn't kidnap me by the way...' She suddenly added and a flash of annoyance flickered in the young goddess' face. It made Hecate blink for a second.

'Listen.. if I upset you I-' She started in a friendly tone but Persephone cut her off.

'-maybe next time you should get your facts straight before you go shooting your mouth off, don'tcha think?' The young goddess scowled deeper before straightening and snatching up her clipboard and quill then turned away to leave, but Hecate gripped her arm and swung her back around roughly.

'Persephone, whatever is going on between you and Hades-'

'-Is none of your business!!' The goddess snapped glaring at the witch...

* * *

'Hey Panic-' Pain sounded as something caught his eyes out the board room window. '-isn't that Hecate down there with Miss Persephone?'

'What?!' Panic's eyes widened in surprise then he budged his chubby partner out the way. 'Lemmie see...' His eyes widened in horror as he caught sight of her.

Hades who'd been studying the figures on the New Arrivals graph while holding a mug of coffee glanced up at the silence. The god scowled as he caught sight of both imps craning their heads out of the window and looking out at the Styx below them.

'Err... hello!!' He sounded irritably and suddenly both imps turned as Hades flashed a nasty orange colour. 'For the last time guys, these numbers are _not_ going to explain themselves...' He sounded stiffly jabbing the scroll in front of him causing small scorchmarks to appear where his finger had hit.

'Um sir...' Panic sounded timidly and Hades suddenly groaned with frustration.

'Can we _pleease..._ just have one review that doesn't take _all_ friggin' day...' Hades flared momentarily red. '-_is that too much to ask?!_' He bellowed angrily and slamming his fist on the table. The scroll in front of him turned instantly to ash.

'But your viciousness...' Pain sounded nervously as Panic cowered behind him. '-Hecate's down there with Miss Persephone.'

'_What?!_' Hades exploded and both imps backed away as the fiery god shot to the window, he leaned out and his scowl deepened at the sight of the witch below.

For once the imps had been right, Hecate was talking to Persephone but his missus looked far from pleased to see her. Hades watched as his missus eyed the witch with annoyance, spoke some unheard words then grabbed her clipboard and made to leave..

'Oh hell no...' Hades breathed enraged further as he saw Hecate grab Persephone and spin her back around, the god then vanished in a curl of smoke to go rescue his missus.

* * *

'Hades is a jerk!!' Hecate hissed at the young goddess still holding her firmly. 'He'll use you then ditch you when he's bored with you...'

'You don't know what your talking about..' Persephone said quietly feeling annoyance well up inside her, as well as a pent up desire to defend her flame-haired lover.

'Oh please...' Hecate sounded amused by her reaction. 'You think he loves you? He doesn't, the only thing Hades loves is power... if he was given the choice of either you or the Underworld, he'd pick the Underworld... every time.' Persephone felt her hair billow up into flames as her eyes narrowed into slits of green loathing.

'I think you better leave!' She hissed angrily wrenching her arm out of Hecate's grip. The witch suddenly smirked further amused.

'Now that's not your call...' She raised her brows. '-is it?'

'Hecate..' A male voice suddenly sounded from behind Persephone and the witch's eyes widened in shock. Persephone spun around and found Hades stood directly behind her and she felt an instant sense of relief sweep over her... the Lord of the Underworld glared at Hecate while slipping an arm protectively around his missus' middle.

'Hades...' Hecate suddely beamed. '-how nice to see you, it's been a while...'

'Uh-huh.. yeh whatever...' The god sounded bored waving his free hand dismissively. 'Let's just skip over the chit-chat and jump right on over to the part where you leave... _now!!_' He added sternly and produced a fireball from the fingers of his free hand. Hecate knew when she'd outstayed her welcome and she'd lost many good chitons because Hades had sent her home in a flaming ball of fury. Without so much more than a backwards scowl she left quickly.

Once the witch was out of sight Persephone sighed as her hair returned to normal and she leaned her head on Hades' chest. He suddenly smiled and snuffed the fireball in his free hand.

'Good riddance...' He sounded slightly amused.

'You said it sweetie...' Persephone sounded lazily as Hades guided her away from the docks.

* * *

Theseus awoke that same morning with the mother of all hangovers and a vague recollection of what was said the night before while he and Peirithous had been drinking wine. That was all it was... drunk talk. They hadn't been serious, there was no way that they were going to invade Spartan territory and run off with Helen the loveliest of the mortals, Theseus' choice of bride... and there was no way they would then descend into the Underworld and rescue Persephone, Peirithous' choice, from the evil clutches of Hades, no matter how much respect they got for doing it... it had just been the mad ravings of two kings completely wasted on the finest wine in Athens... at least that's what Theseus thought until he discovered that Peirithous was still serious about going on the crazy quest.

For once Theseus decided it was a bad idea and refused, stating that there was nothing on this earth that would make him reconsider. Unfortunately for the former hero, he didn't know just how serious Demeter was about carrying out her strike...

As the weeks rolled by the seasons shifted again, it was like they just completely skipped out summer and carried on straight to autumn. The mortals had never seen anything like this before as the leaves turned to golden brown, but as the winds grew colder the crops began to fail...

It was a mad desperate rush for the farmers to save what precious life they could from the turning seasons. Grain was in short supply and since none of the gods seemed to be listening or doing anything about the bad weather the people of Greece turned to those whom they thought were their last hope... their rulers. Theseus soon found himself walled up day after day in his throne room, listening to the pleas from many of his citizens who didn't have enough supplies to last the whole year. It wasn't long before the young king had had enough...

...suddenly the crazy quest for new brides didn't sound like such a bad idea... if indeed the gods were angry about the whereabouts of Persephone then it was his duty to go and rescue her, after all the gods would be forever grateful to him and where would that leave their precious Hercules...?

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey Everybody, thank you so much for the reviews as they are always much appreciated... and S13cott, your right about the pronunciation of Peirithous but actually, both spellings are correct, but for you I changed it anyway because I believe in keeping the readers happy... xXx

Ok I'm really starting to think I cram waay too much into these chaps because I don't know what to tell you...

I think the bust up between Hecate and Persephone was pretty obvious... I love the idea of a secondary villain because Hades seems to be doing the hokey-cokey with the main villain role (in, out, in, out... you get what i mean XP )

And of course, Demeter's strike is in effect... can Theseus save the day?? (those who read your myths... Sshhhh!!) Please tell me what you think of Thesues, I tried to make him as unlike Hercules as possible, thank you.

Take care... Lots of Love Ditzy xXx

P.S. I made a slight change to chap 26, nothing major but shouldn't affect the story xXx


	28. There's something about Persephone

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Twenty-Eight: **__**There's something about Persephone**_

While the mortals felt like they'd been left to fend for themselves, the gods were in yet another emergency council meeting trying desperately to come up with a solution to the crisis that was hitting their mortal charges. It had been several weeks since Demeter had gone on strike and the effects of it was proving to be devastating. For the first time since the Olympian gods had assumed power all those centuries ago they felt completely helpless. They knew perfectly well that the only god who could answer the prayers of their charges was Demeter, however the goddess was refusing to lift a finger until her precious baby girl had been returned to her.

As the premature autumn brought in cold winds, the gods could only sit back and watch with heavy hearts as their once fertile land became barren and cold. What disturbed them most about the whole thing was how fast the change of seasons had happened, it was hard to believe how reliant the world had been on the love and care of Demeter… the Olympians thought they would have had more time to think of a way to convince the Nature Goddess to give up before life was completely destroyed…

Eventually, out of sheer desperation, Hera and Heista decided to go to their sister's temple and try to convince Demeter that causing mortals suffering was not going to help her situation. The other gods held their breaths and hoped that the Nature Goddess was in a merciful mood. But when the two sisters returned it was apparent by their facial expressions that their words had fallen on deaf ears. Even so, it was the start of something as one by one the gods all went to try their luck at convincing Demeter to give up her strike… no matter what words were used, or what fabulous gifts were offered the Nature Goddess' response was always the same,

'Me? It's not me that's causing this to happen… it's the god that's stopping Persephone from coming home…' The gods were unsure if Demeter was actually referring to the fact her daughter was with Hades, or if it was because Zeus had refused to go and fetch her daughter from the Underworld when they had first found out she was down there…

* * *

While every one of his fellows had been down trying to coax Demeter home, the King of the Gods had been keeping to himself. It wasn't often that Zeus didn't like being the ruler of the cosmos but sometimes, having the weight of the world on your shoulders was more of a burden than it was worth. He was expected to be omniscient, but how was he supposed to know how to solve this mess? The pressures of being the ruler of the cosmos was so extreme, especially when everybody expected you to just suddenly come up with a solution to every problem that reared it's ugly head. The tanned god had no idea why Hades would _want_ to rule the cosmos so much, he couldn't stand the stresses of his own job in the Underworld, three weeks on Olympus would give his little brother a flaming heart attack… _literally_.

Zeus rubbed his temples and groaned wearily as he racked his exhausted brains trying to come up with a way to resolve to the problem but he just couldn't think of an obvious solution. He didn't want to offend Hades by forcing him to give up the one thing that made him happy, but then again, if he didn't hand over Persephone to Demeter the goddess would destroy all mortal life as they knew it. And where would that leave the gods? They'd be thrust once more into and New Titan Age where gods would squabble amongst themselves for power and prestige because there was no mortals around to distract them… it was amazing how much the modern lives of gods depended on the distraction of mortals. There were very few beings that understood how co-dependant men and gods were on each other for survival. It had all been a part of the Grand Design; a system that Gaia and Ouranos had created out of Chaos as a basis of all life. Light and dark, immortal and mortal, love and hate, death and life, every one of these things were connected in a delicate balance, each one reliant on it's counter-parts survival so that it too could live on.

And now… just because she didn't approve of her daughter living in the Underworld, Demeter… the one god who knew better than any of the other Olympian about the sacred balance of life, was going to destroy what dozens of gods had worked so hard to achieve. It was his job as King of the Gods to ensure that life carried on and the only solution that was clear to Zeus… but he wasn't happy about it.

Ever since the death of her biological father, Zeus had claimed Persephone as his own daughter and he wanted her to be happy. He had hoped Demeter might have come to terms with the fact that Persephone had chosen to stay in the Underworld, however solitude from the other gods seemed to have had the opposite effect on her. The Nature Goddess believed that Hades was forcing her daughter to stay against her will and this strike was her attempt to get her daughter back. And much to Zeus' annoyance it was working too, the mortals were dangerously thin after nearly two whole months of starvation. The god was just grateful that he had sent Hermes to Hercules warning him of the possibility of Demeter going on strike, so his son was now well and truly prepared but even so… he would run out of supplies soon enough. Zeus groaned again even more loudly than before. He had no choice, Persephone must return to the surface… whether she liked it or not.

* * *

Hades was sat alone in the throne room, he was slouched on his throne studying a small ring in between his fingers deep in thought. It was amazing really, how the events of the past fourteen months had altered his life in ways he could never have foreseen when he had first asked the Fates for advice on how to defeat Zeus. And now, this ring in his fingers was going to alter it further… Hades had decided to ask Persephone to marry him. Actually it was an idea he'd been toying with for the last couple of weeks but he'd been hesitating, mostly because the right time to propose never seemed to present itself.

It also didn't help that there had been an unusual rise in the numbers of souls over the past several weeks and Hades was curious to find out what was causing it. Yes, he was pleased that the numbers were picking up but he wanted to know what it was exactly that was causing the souls to drop down as quickly as they were now, particularly since they were doing so after no intervention of his own. Hades could come up with two plausible reasons as to why this was happening;

First off… somebody upstairs was royally cheesed off, in which case he was glad that it wasn't him on the receiving end of their wrath…

…or secondly… the imps had accidentally released some plague on the upper world, in that case he'd keep schtum and pretend not to know anything while secretly smirking at the suffering of those stupid mortals upstairs. Either way, let's see how Jerkules liked them apples…

Hades had spent most of the day dealing with the latest bunch of whiners to wind up in his realm… he had no idea how Persephone could remain so perky after dealing with what he affectionately called 'the depression posse', he'd been sick of the sight of souls as soon as the first one appeared off the gondola. Still, it had been worth it once he had finally found a soul that was prepared to tell him what was going on, it took a while as most souls only ever liked to bang on about how they had died and the fiery god was far from interested in hearing that… As soon as he had the information he wanted Hades had got out of there, leaving Pain and Panic to do the rest.

Suddenly a swirl of white orbs made Hades hastily pocket the ring and stand up as Persephone appeared in the room.

'Those idiots by the pool of Lethe are so hard to catalogue…' She sighed irritably throwing her clipboard down. '-they kept asking random questions. Uhh… I swear if I hear- 'What's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?' -one more time I'm gonna start imploding them!' Persephone scowled briefly as her hair rippled, then she turned smiling wearily at . 'So… did you find out why all these souls are suddenly dropping in on us?'

'Sure did…' Hades flashed her a leer while wrapping his smoky tendrils around her and pulling her into him. '-it's a Famine baby!' He announced suddenly grinning widely and his missus squealed hugging him tight.

'Wow, that's great…' Persephone beamed then paused before adding, '-for us anyway, not for the mortals.' Hades merely smirked amused.

'Y'know.. since the numbers are up, I figured we could celebrate…' His fingers began roaming her curves. '-just you… and me…' He added in a husky whisper starting to nuzzle her neck slowly.

'Mmmm… I'd love too..' She sounded faintly as Hades pushed her back onto the chessboard smothering her in kisses as the goddess twirled his flames in her fingers.

The next second a loud coughing noise sounded causing both deities to spin around in shock, finding the three Fates smirking amused at the sight of them.

Hades recovered first and flared irritated.

'Don't you ladies ever knock!!' He snarled at them.

'No.' Clotho sounded as Lachesis sniggered. '-where's the fun in that?'

'So, what useless prophecy ya go for me today ladies…' Hades sighed pinching the bridge of his nose impatiently.

'Oh they're not useless…' Atropos sounded waving her tiny finger in a scolding manner.

'Besides…' Lachesis smiled. '-this isn't a prophecy… it's a warning..'

* * *

Theseus was starting to get a sinking feeling in his gut…

It was nothing more than tiny seeds of doubt, they had crept into his mind ever since that morning when Peirithous had decided it was time to claim their brides… his first instinct was to try and convince his best friend to pick a more attainable bride. After all, marching into the Underworld and snatching Demeter's daughter out from under the dreaded Lord of the Underworld's nose was _suicidal_… and that was if Hades was in a good mood. Theseus shuddered to think of what kind of punishment the fiery god would come up with if he caught them snooping around his realm, Hades was _not_ best known for his compassion…

But the insatiable hunger for adventure and the desire for a queen of divine beauty were the things that beckoned the former hero to ride off with his friend. Both young men agreed that they would claim Helen first, even breaking into the formidable fortress of Sparta was going to be a walk in the park compared the impenetrable blackness of the Underworld, it would also serve as a test to make sure if they were ready to liberate Persephone…

It was a test they believed they had passed with flying colours. Breaking into the Spartan palace couldn't have gone off any easier, and Helen… the blonde girl of twenty was as beautiful as the rumours had made out, there was something about her that caught the eye… not to mention other areas. It wasn't just her godly good looks that attracted him ether, Theseus found Helen's perky personality and girlish giggling almost impossible to resist.

Peirithous, spurred on by their success, insisted that they head straight for the Underworld that night… it was at that moment that seeds of doubt began to plague his thoughts once more but he was honour bound to help his friend obtain his bride… still, he was sorry to be separated from the lovely Helen. But the thought of her waiting for him in Athens was enough to spur him on as Theseus vanished into the night with his best friend… to the Underworld or bust.

It was now, as they descended into the Underworld through the back entrance Theseus felt ill, and the sickly feeling only got worse as he and Peirithous carried on deeper into the darkened realm of Hades…

The plan was fairly simple… get into the Underworld, grab Persephone and get out again without running into…

'Evenin' boys…' A low voice sounded causing both mortal men to stop dead in their tracks with their eyes wide in shock.

…_Hades_!!

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey Everybody, I have a drawing of Persephone loaded up as my avatar… feel free to tell me what you think of her, thank you!! There's also a tiny little Peirithous profile as I do technically own him too.

I know, I know I've left you on another cliff-hanger but the next chaps picks up immediately where this one finishes so you won't miss anything I promise…

Ok, so the idea for the Grand Design is mostly about my own personal beliefs of life and also a little from shows I've seen. Most people make Zeus evil but I just wanted him to have a catch 22 problem, he just picks what he thinks is the lesser of two evils…

Thanks for reading…

…Take Care Love Ditzy xXx


	29. From Heroes to Zeros

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_Dedicated to all my loyal fans who've stuck by this story… thank you for waiting so patiently for this chapter and I promise the next update will be much, much sooner, love you all xXx_

_**Chapter Twenty-Nine:**__**From Heroes to Zeros**_

For a long moment Theseus and Peirithous looked like a pair of startled deer at the jagged black corner where Hades' voice had sounded from the other side. As they came to their senses the two friends unsheathed their swords, mustering what courage they could Theseus and Peirithous swung around the corner of the jagged rock to face the fiery god.

Hades was lent against the black cavernous wall, his sharp features were illuminated by the phosphorous blue waters of the Styx that rushed by the edge of the narrow footpath. The god looked around and smiled lazily at the two mortals completely ignoring the fact that they had two swords pointed directly at his heart. The silence spiralled horribly as Hades studied the faces of the men in front of him.

'So…' The Lord of the Underworld finally sounded straightening. '-which one of you guys is Theseus? Heh, all you muscle-bound jocks look the same to me.' The mortal on the left scowled at Hades words, it wasn't missed by the god who narrowed his eyes and his smirk twisted into a devious leer. '_You_'re Theseus…' He sounded in a sneering tone leaning in so the sword the former hero had pointed at him jabbed his chest. It would have been quite easy for Theseus to run his sword through the god, not that it would do him any good. Still, there was no harm in testing the former hero's restraint.

It seemed Theseus was still in full control of his emotions. He kept his stony features and his sword didn't even twitch from it's point on the Lord of the Underworld. Hades straightened satisfied and the lazy smile reappeared on his face.

'Righty ho, welcome to our Underworld…' The god's voice was light and friendly again as he rubbed his palms together. '-little dark, little gloomy but on the plus side it's got plenty of room… well, it would have if it wasn't fulla dead guys, hah!!' He grinned widely at the pair but the two friends merely shared an unimpressed glance, then raised a brow at the fiery god.

'What's the matter? Ya leave your sense of humour on the surface?' Hades sighed exasperated when they failed to respond. He rolled his eyes in disbelief shaking his head and turned away muttering, '-oy… mortals…' Without so much as a backwards glance Hades began walking away from the pair, heading along the narrow footpath that lead towards his home.

Theseus looked hesitantly at Peirithous, the King of Lapith returned his friend's gaze. For a long moment they stood rooted to the spot unsure if they should follow Hades deeper into the Underworld. He had to know this wasn't a social call… if anything, the swords would have tipped him off. And yet, he was treating them as though they were friends? Hades had no friends. Persephone might be down here with him but that was only because the Lord of the Underworld was holding her hostage… the two friends exchanged a solemn look, they both reached an unspoken mutual decision. Then without further ado they both put their best foot forward and follow the flaming deity down the narrow path, still clutching the hilts of their swords tightly…

After following the Lord of the Underworld through the eerie silence they reached a depressed looking dock. It's great black stone jetty jutted out into the sinister glowing blue waters of the river Styx. There were two paths that forked from the Styx waterfront and Hades took the right one which sloped gently upwards into the rocks of the black cavernous walls. The other path, though the two friends didn't know it, actually lead around the back towards the pool of Lethe.

Theseus and Peirithous immediately followed the god without question until he lead them to a set of thick stone doors set in the black jagged wall. The heavy-set doors opened with a deep grinding noise of stone on stone and a greyish smoke seemed to swirl out from inside.

'You guys hungry?' Hades suddenly sounded jauntily once the grinding had stopped. 'Can't be a bad host or the missus'll get moody. Besides, can't starve ya or you'll be hangin' around longer than ya wanna be, won'tcha?' The god grinned narrowing his eyes in amusement before shaking his head roughly then snatching up a blue torch from just inside the door.

'C'mon in…' He beckoned leading the way down the pitch black corridor…

'He's up to something.' Theseus scowled after the god, slightly suspicious of why he was being so nice to them.

'You think he knows?' Peirithous asked his friend.

'If he does, he probably doesn't consider us a threat…' The former hero mused softly and his best friend's eyes suddenly lit up.

'Good, I like a challenge…' Peirithous said in a low determined voice. 'Let's go get my bride…' Theseus' eyes widened in horror as his best friend suddenly set off after Hades. The young king of Athens didn't like this, the gnawing sensation in his stomach was twisting itself into a state. Trying to convince himself it was only hunger that was causing it, Theseus followed his friend into the house of Hades.

* * *

Hades really wanted his smirk to be something evil and twisted but he kept it light and friendly, despite the fact that he wanted to incinerate these two schmeils for even daring to think about stealing Persephone away from him. Besides, as much fun as it would be to burn the face of each of these 'pretty boys' what he had in store for them was going to be much more entertaining in the long run…

The Lord of the Underworld eventually led them into the dining room where Persephone had already set up a spread for their expected guests before hiding away and waiting for her cue. The god smirked at the two mortals who eyed the neatly laid table with caution. The god rested a hand on his high-backed chair which was at the opposite side of the table.

'Help yourselves boys,' Hades prompted them after a moments silence. '-and don't worry, it's all from upstairs, don't want ya to accidentally eat somethin' home-grown then _die _on me now…' Theseus clearly had a little more stomach than his buddy who was starting to turn a little pale. Hades chuckled amused by Peirithous' reaction to his words before lazily snapping his fingers. Both Theseus and Peirithous were knocked off their feet by a black couch with ornate carvings that swept forwards on it's own. As they collapsed into it Peirithous let go of his sword in shock and it landed on the floor at his feet with a loud clatter.

'Oh, I am sooo _sorry…_' Hades sounded as Peirithous lent forwards to retrieve his weapon. The fiery god then snapped his fingers and the young king of Lapith made a startled gasp as his sword vanished into smoke and reappeared into the fierce grip of Hades' left hand. Both mortals exchanged a slightly nervous glance, neither of them wanted to think about what Hades could do with a sword.

The Lord of the Underworld pretended to take no notice as he twisted the sword around. In truth he was just making a big show of studying the sword, these kind of weapons just weren't his thing, he left them to mush-headed gods like Athena or Aries. Personally, he couldn't see the fascination with them, it's not like there was any _real_ skill needed to work them, any old idiot could tell which end to hold and all you had to do was swing it about. Thanks to the endless mutterings of souls here in the Underworld that had managed to get in the way of these things Hades had a pretty good idea of what kind of sword he was holding. Light as a feather, easy to handle and _deadly_ in the right hands…

'Nice…' Hades smiled slightly pressing his finger tip on the sharp point of the blade's tip so it bent then letting go it sprang back into position. He then turned it over and a small frown appeared between his brows. 'Aww… would ya look at that-' The god then pushed the sword's blade dangerously close to Peirithous' eyes so the mortal man could see along the blade. '-it's got a nick in it…' Quick as a flash he yanked the sword away again and slouched down into his throne.

'Tell ya what… lemmie take care of that for ya, I'll have it sharpened for ya an' all whadda ya say, c'mon..' Hades grinned at Peirithous through narrowed eyes at the mortal man simply stared in admiration of his godliness, or perhaps it was only lack of air...

'Almighty Hades…' Theseus spoke when his friend failed to. '-that is a most _generous_ offer-'

'And you want in on it too don'tcha kiddo? Hey, no probelmo..' Hades cut him off suddenly turning to the former hero with a wide smile. Theseus' eyes widened in surprise as his own sword vanished in a curl of smoke and reappeared in Hades' right hand. The god began inspecting Theseus' sword, it was definitely better by comparison to Peirithous' one, perhaps he wouldn't let the imps get their grubby little mitts on this one, be a shame to ruin it….

It was only once he was unarmed, that Theseus realised just how large Hades truly was. He was massive, _titanic _even. He had to be at least eight or nine feet tall at best and he was incredibly robust too. The former hero couldn't help but feel his old uneasiness about the situation settling in again.

'My Lord…' Peirithous' voice suddenly sounded bringing Theseus back out of this thoughts, Hades who'd still been studying the former hero's blade suddenly looked up and both swords vanished in a wave of smoke. '-where is Persephone?' The Lord of the Underworld merely raised an eyebrow throwing the young king of Lapith a questioning look.

'What he means is… we only wish to admire to her beauty..' Theseus jumped in once more causing Hades' other eyebrow to shoot up as he studied the pair of them thoughtfully.

'Riiight….' The god eventually drawled in an unconvinced tone.

As the god eyed them both, Theseus began to suspect that there was something not quite right about the couch that he and his friend were sat on. When the two of them had first settled down properly, the former hero had felt a sense of tiredness kick in. At the time he had assumed that the effects of the long journey down to the Underworld were responsible but now he wasn't so sure. His legs felt odd, like dead weights and his body seemed to feel strangely numb, the former hero could no longer feel the couch beneath him, it was as if he had become one with the seat…

Hades' lips suddenly curled into a devious smirk, these two weren't going anywhere… the least he could do was humour them…

'Hey Seph…' The Lord of the Underworld straightened in his throne and called out. '-c'mere a sec will ya..'

* * *

Almost immediately a cluster of brilliant white orbs suddenly appeared in the air beside Hades, swirling in a circular motion they began to merge into one and a stunning white-skinned girl appeared out of them. Both mortal men's eyes widened in surprise by the young goddess' loveliness. Persephone truly was a sight to behold, especially in a place as gloomy as the Underworld. In comparison to Hades she was tiny in stature, slightly under six feet if best but her dark chiton revealed the most amazing figure that either men had ever seen, flicking her incredibly long blonde hair Persephone perched herself on Hades' knee. The young goddess gave no sign that she was interested in the two men sat opposite her, she only had eyes for the dark god who's lap she was at in. Both deities were smiling at each other now..

'Lady Persephone!' Peirithous burst out suddenly, the young goddess' brilliant green eyes swivelled in his direction blinking slightly startled by his outburst. 'I am here to liberate you from this awful place…' His words were met with a deathly silence.

Theseus turned to stare at his best friend then slapped his head and shook it slowly in both disbelief and exasperation. _Oh please tell me he did not just say that…_

Peirithous however failed to notice the look of horror that crossed his best friend's face, he only had eyes for Persephone who was staring at him in shock. For a long moment she merely looked at him then a small smile twisted onto her lips.

'Well, aren't you sweet…' She said in a soft disregarding tone, clearly she didn't take him seriously, before turning to Hades who was staring at the young king of Lapith in disbelief.

'He can't be serious?' The fiery god sounded sceptically as his yellow eyes swivelled around to Theseus who gave a withering sigh.

'He is, _unfortunately_…' The former hero sounded mustering as much sarcasm into the words as possible. Persephone actually smirked with amusement as her fiery other half raised both brows at Theseus, after a brief moment he nodded with a soft humming noise which either stood for 'guess ya aren't quite as dumb as ya look' or 'for making the missus smile I might not make your punishment last eternity'. Persephone lent back into Hades' shoulder and twirled her wrist making a purple cocktail appear out of thin air. The god turned to her with a smirk of amusement.

'Comfy babe?' The young goddess turned lazily to him with a contented smile then took a sip of her fruity drink.

'Very…' Hades' eyes narrowed as his smirk widened considerably.

It took Theseus longer than usual to realise that the two gods were completely comfortable in each others presence, something about this couch was turning his mind to mush. His head then lolled around to his friend beside him and the former hero suddenly noticed that his skin had a slight greyish tinge to it…

'Persephone..' Peirithous sounded persistently and Theseus admired his friend's spirit, he was determined to win the day despite the fact that they were already beaten, and Hades had made it look so effortless- '-come with me.'

For a moment Persephone actually looked as though she was considering the proposal, then suddenly she shook her head firmly.

'Nahh, I'm not really into the whole hero thing…' She sounded dismissively as her fingers ran absent-mindedly over Hades' chest.

'Wise choice babe…' The Lord of the Underworld smirked reaching around his beautiful missus and picking up a bunch of grapes from the table and studying them. '-ya know what they say about heroes and the Underworld.' He then plucked one off of the vine and moved in closer to the young goddess.

'They become zeros..' He sounded softly while feeding Persephone the grape in his fingers before flashing an evil leer at the two mortals in the couch.

Realization seemed to finally hit Peirithous, the goddess before him wasn't being held hostage at all, she was here by choice.. The young king of Lapith suddenly slumped back in his seat, sinking down defeated. Theseus threw his friend a pitying glance, he too had the overwhelming desire to do the same, they were completely defenceless and sat in a chair that seemed to be sapping the very life out of them, they were also completely at the mercy of these two deities before them who were treating this as though it were some form of dinner entertainment.

'Well, I think we have imposed on your hospitality enough-' Theseus started trying to get up and out of the seat, unfortunately his body wasn't getting the message.

'Noooo…' Hades sounded with false concern.

'Don't go..' Persephone added in a tone of amusement.

'Stick around… ya might find ya can get quite _attached_ to the place..' Hades spoke in a low hinted tone sending Persephone into a wave of girlish giggling that didn't make Theseus feel any better, in fact he was starting to feel quite light-headed..

'It'll be no trouble..' Hades continued softly, his eyes narrowing and a twisted leer curled his lips. Theseus tried to fight the blackness but couldn't, then fell unconscious to Persephone's gleeful giggling and Hades soft words. '..no trouble at all…'

* * *

Little Notes:

Like I said in H.o.T.T I'm so, so, so, sorry for the really long wait for this chapter, my stupid laptop has been in for repairs but thank fate it's back so I could bring you this update…

Oh my god, I can't get enough of evil Hades!! I think he comes across even more so with Persephone by his side in this chap (god I actually feel a little sorry for Peirithous). The chapter title was fairly easy to come up with as it's taken from the Hercules song 'Zero to Hero' but the words are switched around to fit the tone of despair at the end of this chap.

Take care… Lot's of Love Ditzy xXx


	30. There's only a Hope in, well y'know

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_To anybody who reads this and reviews… thanks for brightening my day…_

_**Chapter Thirty:**____**There's only a Hope in, well y'know…**_

Zeus had been delaying his descent into the Underworld, this wasn't going to be like squabbling over tactics during the Titan War or forcing his brother into a job he didn't want, this time there was a goddess involved. Funny, the tanned god had never considered Hades as the 'settling down' type but he and Persephone must be very happy together. After all, he hadn't heard anything since the two of them had been discovered shacked up in the Underworld together, it seemed that Persephone had managed to do something that he, Zeus had failed to do for centuries.. keep Hades in line.

This made it all the harder for the Lord of Olympus to break up this union, which was essentially what he was going to do when he finally showed his face in the Underworld. But if he didn't do it Demeter would destroy all life including his son Hercules. It was growing dark as night was settling in and the stars were shining brightly. If there was ever a time to go to the Underworld, it was now, any protesting from Hades and Persephone wouldn't disturb many gods or mortals as the vast majority of them would be asleep.

Zeus walked slowly across the cool cloudy ground of his Olympus home trying to think of the best way to broach the subject of Persephone's return to his little brother, it didn't take a genius to figure out how Hades was going to react.

'Drachma for your thoughts chief?' A voice sounded from somewhere nearby rousing Zeus from his brooding. The small blue Messenger God was smiling warmly at him while sprawled out on a small cloud that was floating at head height above the main floor of Olympus.

'Hermes… what are you doing out so late?' Zeus asked slightly surprised to see the small blue god. Hermes' smile widened considerably at these words.

'Star gazing…' He responded then turned to the stars which were glowing brightly above them. '-speaking of which, nice job on the constellation of Hercules sir, some of your best work..'

'Well he is my son, and as my son he deserves the best.' Zeus responded smiling proudly.

'Amen to that.' The Messenger God smiled at him in a slightly amused fashion. There was a pause as Hermes' eyes travelled over some of the other constellations that were glowing brightly that night.

'So…' The tiny blue god sounded curiously, finally turning back to Zeus. '-what brings you out at this time of night?'

'Oh, just thinking…' Zeus responded vaguely looking around the dark clouds.

'About…' Hermes prompted raising his brows intrigued and sitting up on his cloud. For a moment Zeus looked unsure for a moment, then suddenly his shoulders sagged and he relented.

'Trying to come up with the best way to approach Persephone..'

'Ahhh…' Hermes sighed understanding the problem instantly and nodding his head sympathetically. 'You don't wanna annoy Hades by forcing his missus to return, but at the same time if she stays in the Underworld Demeter will never bring back spring…' The tiny blue god paused then added dryly while twirling his golden staff idly. '-_maan_, that's a serious catch twenty-two right there..'

'I know…' Zeus sighed heavily. '-but I have no choice, without Persephone the mortals will die..'

'The H-Man ain't gonna thank ya for this.' Hermes sounded matter-of-factly.

'Maybe not.. but would he rather be up to his eyeballs in souls for all eternity?'

'Are we resorting to emotional blackmail?' Hermes' narrowed his eyes in amusement. '-kinda a low blow, even for you sir.'

'Yes, yes..' Zeus waved an arm dismissively. '-but we're desperate gods and these are desperate times…' The tanned god suddenly paused then checked his sundial. '-speaking of which.. I best be off to the Underworld, I wanna get this over before sunrise tomorrow.' The King of Gods then walked over to the edge of the main cloudy base of Olympus. Hermes watched curiously as Zeus summoned a white cloud out of the air and boarded it preparing to fly down to Hades.

'What?' Hermes asked when Zeus turned and studied him curiously for a moment rubbing his white beard broodingly.

'_Hermes_…' He sounded musingly, Hermes _was_ Persephone's best friend and if _anybody _could make her understand the seriousness of the situation it was him… '-perhaps you'd like to come with me, I could use the company..' He smiled at the tiny blue god who continued to look uneasy.

'Well, gee… I don't think..' He started but Zeus cut him off with a firm look.

'I _insist_.' His smile twisted into a devious leer and Hermes sighed heavily, this was going to be hell under earth...

* * *

His full dark lips twisted into a wide crooked smirk and his rounded golden eyes narrowed with pleasure as the dainty white hand ran seductively over his chest. Persephone sure knew how to massage a god… a god's ego that is.. The two deities had moved to the throne room after leaving the two newest arrivals to their eternal torment. Hades was slouched across his throne while Persephone was curled in his lap smiling sweetly.

'Y'know..' She was purring while her fingers twiddled with his skull pin. '-you're amazing, and watching you deal with those pathetic morties got me _sooo_…' Persephone suddenly wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. '-_hot_.' She sighed nuzzling his neck causing Hades to shiver in a satisfying way and his flames rippled across his shoulders.

'Heh, I never realised torturin' the dammed gotcha in the mood…' He sounded in a low voice loving the attention he was getting. '-_remind_ me to do it more often..' He added with a throaty growl as Persephone tilted her head towards him. Hades smiled at her widely, one of those rare loving smiles that he only let her see. Persephone slid her fingers up into his flames then guided him down into a gentle kiss, causing Hades to sneak in a sly grope while his missus' hands were stroking the back of his neck. Perhaps this was the moment he'd been waiting for?

'Seph…' He sighed parting from her lips but still resting his head against hers. '-there's somethin' I've been meaning to ask ya..' He slid one arm further around her back holding her in place, then reached with his other hand into the pocket of his chiton. The next second the sound of thunder caused both deities to jump apart and turn to see the familiar golden skinned, white haired Lord of Olympus standing in the middle of the room.

'Sorry to just barge in like this..' Zeus sounded ignoring the fact that neither Hades or Persephone looked particularly pleased to see him, in fact they were throwing him matching scowls.

'Not as sorry as I am.' Hades uttered under his breath feeling a small pulse of anger shoot through him, only Zeus could ruin a priceless moment like this.

'-but we need to talk.' The tanned god continued as though nothing were said.

'Why?!' Hades' eyes narrowed suspiciously and he instantly rose out of his throne. Persephone, who'd been resting against both him and the arm of the throne, squeaked in surprise and slumped into the seat in a rather undignified manner. She swivelled around with wide eyes to Hades who seemed to be gearing himself up for a fight.

'What's the matter Zeusy? Your life so _boring_ that ya gotta come down here and trash ours?' The fiery gold sounded fiercely as his skin prickled orange. Persephone suddenly spotted Hermes who'd been hiding behind Zeus with an uncomfortable expression on his face, he threw an apologetic smile at her then hung his head in shame. The goddess blinked confused by this, then she found herself wondering what exactly it was that Zeus wanted to see them about and she turned instantly to the two brothers.

'-it's not like that Hades and you know it!' Zeus frowned.

'Oh riiight…' Hades drawled in a jeering manner. '-so this is just a social call, is it? Ya just _poppin_' in say hi to me and the missus..' Zeus flashed a guilty sort of smile and shrugged. Hades raised a brow satisfied and smirked in a grim fashion. '-thought not..' He turned back around to the young goddess in his throne and paused at the odd expression on her face.

'Hades…maybe we should just hear him out first..' Persephone spoke softly glancing at Zeus nervously before turning back to the fiery god. Hades blinked stunned by her words, unsure what she was so frightened about, but there was a look of determination mingled with the fear that made him cave in to her.

'Fiiine…' He sighed heavily running his fingers through his flames in an exasperated manner, only Persephone had the kind of influence to make him play nicey-nice with Zeus. He leaned in to his missus as she pushed herself out of the throne. '-but you owe me..' Hades murmured and Persephone smiled sweetly at him.

'I'll pay you back..' She sounded in a sultry voice running a finger along his jaw. '-I promise.' Hades smirked briefly in amusement before remembering Zeus was still stood behind him and turned back to his annoying older brother.

'So…' Hades drawled folding his arms and resuming his suspicious front. '-what _do_ ya wanna talk about?' Zeus paused then glanced at Hermes who shrugged with a non-committal jerk of the head as if to say 'ya may as well tell them now…'.

* * *

At this point, the earth around Thebes began to judder causing Hercules to jolt awake in surprise. After a very brief spell the movement stopped and everything was back to the way it should be, although Hercules could have sworn he heard a distant cry of fury issuing from somewhere under the ground below him. Turning to his girlfriend who had apparently slept through the whole thing.

'Did you feel that?!' The young hero exclaimed causing Meg to suddenly stir in her sleep.

'Uhh… go back to sleep Wonder Boy…' She moaned vaguely then yanked the covers over her head and drifted off to sleep once more.

* * *

Zeus blinked several times in shock as the movement in the Underworld subsided. It wasn't the fact that the scream that caused the ground to shake, or the golden flames of fury that issued from the head of the enraged deity that stunned him, he was too used to Hades' hot-headed temper to be shocked by such an outburst… but then again, it wasn't Hades who'd screamed out in fury… it was Persephone.

Hades smirked at the look of shock on his brother's face, clearly he had never seen Persephone fly off the handle before.. Guess Zeusy didn't realise that mommy dearest was always such a button pusher for his little Sephykins. Apparently Demeter didn't want the two of them to be together, no surprise there, so in protest she'd been living apart from the rest of the gods and refusing to lift a finger until her daughter came home..

He gazed at Persephone who was massaging her temples and breathing slowly as her golden flames returned to normal. A wave of pity swept over him, Hades understood exactly how she felt, she'd been controlled all her life; ignored, talked down to and pushed aside, and now Demeter was forced to see that her daughter was not this fragile little flower that she wanted her to be, she didn't like it and was going to punish them both for it.. sheesh, and everybody thought he was petty.

'She's _unbelievable_!!' Persephone breathed finally managing to calm herself. There was a still a slight steely glint in her bright green eyes. The young goddess sighed frustrated then placed her hands on her hips and pouted.

'I mean I _knew _mother might not approve.. but this is _ridiculous_!!' Persephone narrowed her eyes privately thinking her mother could take a running jump into the Vortex of Fire.. 'Well she can forget it, I am _not_ going back!' The goddess pouted and turned her back on Zeus defiantly folding her arms.

'Persephone…' The tanned god sounded in a warning tone to his adoptive daughter who merely frowned deeper.

'No! For the first time I'm actually happy, doesn't that mean anything to you?!' Persephone was close to tears now and shaking with surpassed frustration. Hades automatically pulled her into him, wrapping his arms protectively around his missus while running his fingers through her hair and glaring at Zeus for upsetting her. The Lord of Olympus sighed wearily trying to remain calm with difficulty, they were getting nowhere slowly.

'You don't understand!' Zeus groaned with a flash of impatience in his tone. '-the mortals are suffering because of her!'

'Aww, boo-freakin'-hoo…' Hades sounded irritably while rolling his eyes. '-so Demeter's throwin' a hissy and takin' it out on the mortals, big deal, it's not like she's the _first_..' Zeus slapped his head in exasperation and groaned, these two gods were really pushing his tolerance to the limits.

'Uh, Hades…' Hermes sounded nervously causing the flaming deity to whip around to him. '-this might sound a little nuts but have you noticed an unusual rise in new arrivals recently?' Hades eyed the tiny Messenger God for a moment before answering in a defensive manner.

'Yeh, so what if I have?' His lips curled into a sneer as he glared at Hermes. 'There's some kinda famine runnin' riot up there, it's not my problem…'

'It is your problem Hades!!' Zeus snarled whipping around and glaring at his little brother.

'Uhh… maybe I better explain things to them chief..' Hermes spoke softly to his boss who shook his head roughly.

'Fine, get on with it Hermes..' He sighed heavily and folded his large tanned arms and eyed the Messenger God firmly.

'Listen buddy..' The tiny blue god turned to Hades who narrowed his eyes at him. '-the reason your gettin' more souls isn't because of a famine _per_-_say.. _it's because there's no life on the surface..'

'_What_?!' Persephone squeaked pulling away from the fiery god's shoulder, where she had been softly weeping, and stared horrified at her best friend.

'I fail to see the threat..' Hades sounded unimpressed.

'Well you wouldn't would you?' Zeus jeered nastily causing Hades to bristle and turn a slight shade of orange.

'Hey! I'm not the one on trial here…'

'Don't be so sure…'

'Oh yehh… 'cause you'd _love_ that, huh? Any old excuse to whack me with a thunderbolt..' Pushing past Persephone who blinked unsurely.

'I don't _need_ an excuse..' Zeus snarled pointing a thunderbolt at his little brother as a large fireball swirled into Hades' long blue fingers.

'Whoa, take it easy cats…' Hermes cried out as he and Persephone both jumped between the two gods who were sizing each other up. Hermes pulled Zeus aside and Persephone did the same with Hades.

'Sir, let's not try to make this worse than it already is..' Hermes leaned in and spoke softly. Zeus sighed heavily rubbing his temples.

'Sweetie..' At the same time Persephone leaned into Hades. '-let's not start a fight.. _please_.' There was a glimmer of fear swimming in her eyes again, Hades could see it plainly.. She was worried about her mother's mental state.. yes, Persephone complained about how over-protective Demeter was but she was still her mother, nothing would ever change that… Hades sighed heavily rubbing his temples.

'Fine..' Both gods responded in exactly the same reluctant tone and Zeus lowered his thunderbolt as Hades snuffed his fireball. Then all four turned back to each other…

'So… did you say it's winter up there?' Persephone suddenly broke the long awkward silence with a look of confusion.

'Yes..' Hermes answered softly when Zeus failed to.

'But… but… it's supposed to be _spring_!!' Persephone sounded in disbelief.

'Persephone, your mother's holding spring back..' Zeus responded and the young goddess blinked shocked, she looked at Hermes for conformation and he nodded.

'It's true..' He said hanging his head. Hades blinked shocked by this new information.

'What?!' He sounded in disbelief, was Demeter really that hell bent on keeping him away from her daughter… if she couldn't have her, she was going to make him so busy that he wouldn't have time for her…

'No, she wouldn't do that!!' Persephone sounded breaking Hades away from her thoughts.

'She already has..' Zeus sounded softly.

'Have you talked to her?! Tried to reason with her?!' Persephone's voice was growing more panicky by the minute.

'Seph..' Hermes sighed removing his rose tinted specs and rubbing the bridge of his nose. '-everybody's tried.. She's not budging-'

'-then that's it.. the mortals will all die..' Persephone sounded softly sinking into the throne.

'Perhaps not..' Zeus sounded causing all three deities to look around to him. 'There is one way to stop this..'

'How?' Hades sounded warily and narrowing his eyes, not liking the sound of Zeus' tone.

'I think you know..' The Lord of Olympus responded and their was a short pause until Persephone broke it.

'I have to go back.. Don't I?' She sounded sadly and a single tear ran down her cheek. Silently she cursed her mother for ruining her life, yet again…

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey Everybody, thank you so much for the reviews and keep 'em coming… it means so much to me that so many of you like the story and now that the end is in sight it's even more important to me now as I'm planning a sequel…

Hope you liked the little interlude with Hercules and Meg, got the idea from the film when Hades blasts the imps for having Hercules merchandise and the hero feels the tremor…

…what happens next?

Take care peeps…. Lot's of Love Ditzy xXx

P.S. Heya Atola91.. Of course I missed ya sweetie, nice to have ya back and you flatter me with your complements (blushes fiercely)… hope your sticking' around a little while … mwha Ditzy xXx


	31. People always do Crazy Things when th,,,

Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.

Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Thirty-One:**__**People always do Crazy Things when They're in Love**_

Unbelievable… un-_freakin_'-believable… just when he'd actually found a girl who genuinely _wanted_ to be with him his big brother had to come along and steal her away… Hades' glare was aimed towards Zeus who was waiting for them in the next room, the longer he looked at his annoyingly self-righteous older brother the more Hades hated him and his skin prickled orange. The two Underworld deities were supposed to be discussing their options, although Hades didn't particularly like either option. On one hand he could give up the one woman he loved more than the entire cosmos and be back to the same old job he'd been doing since the keys to the Underworld had fallen into his hands, or he could keep his woman and be swimming in souls for the rest of eternity… not much contest, either way he was going to end up miserable.

'Seph you don't have to listen to that _yutz_!!' He instantly burst out turning to Persephone who's head was bowed downwards to the cold stone floor as tears rolled down her cheeks. At his angry eruption the goddess' head jerked in his direction and she gazed unblinkingly at him with a mixture of sorrow and anguish. It was a sight which made the fiery god's skin return to blue as his large golden eyes widened with dread and realisation what she was thinking of… no, she wouldn't… she couldn't _leave him…_

'Babe..' He sounded softly with an edge of alarm in his voice, his pupils darted back and forth between her eyes desperately searching for something that was going to relieve the sudden tightness in his chest, but she turned away as if unable to give him the reassurance he needed.

Persephone couldn't stand to look at him anymore. His eyes were too intense, so much pain and fear in those large golden orbs, she had to turn away before they brought out more tears. For a moment Persephone stood brooding on what she was going to do…

Sometimes Persephone wished that her father was still around, he'd know exactly what to say to give her the courage she needed. Her father had been a demi-god named Iasion who'd been born and raised on Crete. Her parents had met and fallen in love during one of the great Harvest celebrations and Persephone had been born a few years later. She was the daughter her mother had always dreamed of, an immortal flower of her very own. As Persephone grew Demeter was constantly worried about her precious baby girl, but Iasion could always soothe her fears with gentle words. He reasoned that Persephone always returned home and that she needed to go out and explore the world. After all, she wasn't going to be a child forever…

Those had been happier times, when Persephone used to go out partying with Bacchus and his bacchantes, when she used to love brightly coloured flowers and basking in the warm glow of the sun… then everything changed on that fate-filled trip to Olympus. The young goddess didn't know what made Zeus hurl that thunderbolt, apparently he and Hera had been going through a rough patch, if you could call Io and Europa a 'rough patch'. All Persephone knew was that at the tender age of forty-three she had witnessed her own father's death by the hand of her uncle. That alone was enough to rip her life apart, but what really messed the young goddess up was the way her mother reacted to the death of her husband.

Rather than get angry or cry about her loss, Demeter shut off her heart and began channelling her grief into something else… _someone else_.. Her precious daughter was the only thing left of her beloved husband and she didn't want to loose her too. Her pain turned into smothering, her hurt turned into protectiveness and her fear turned into boundaries… and suddenly Persephone found her destiny had taken on a whole new course…

'Seph… baby-' Hades sounded anxiously, grabbing his missus' hands and pulling her to him. '-ya can't seriously be considering this! I mean.. what about us?' He wrapped his arms securely around her middle holding her closely.

'Hades…' Persephone sighed running her fingers across his long angular jaw and smiling sadly at him. It was amazing how this god had shown up just as she was beginning to loose hope. Her life had been going nowhere, she had very few friends, very little godly status and her mother was getting on her nerves. Then out of the blue, the only immortal being in the cosmos who could possibly understand what she was going through showed up and saved her. Persephone's smile widened slightly, and to think… only a few hours ago she claimed heroes weren't her thing…

'-you know how I feel about you, it's why I have to go. It's the only way to save you from working your way into Tartarus..' Her hands slipped around his shoulders.

'At least I'd have you..' He responded a little more sullenly than he'd intended but his words still touched Persephone and she moved her face a little towards his.

'I'll always be yours, no matter what-' She glanced briefly towards Zeus with a slight frown. '-_he_ says..' Then suddenly the two deities were kissing, it was a kiss of compassion. Not their usual fierce passionate embrace that sent Hades' flames wild but more of a slow mushy kiss. Time almost seemed to stand still at this point, like it couldn't bear to move on, at least it did until a booming voice sounded-

'Will you two get a move on!!' Startled both Hades and Persephone broke apart at the sound of Zeus' irritated voice. Hades scowled briefly in the direction of the next room before Persephone drew his attention back to her. She looked tearful once more.

'My god.. I love you..' She whispered before planting a soft kiss on his lips before turning and heading back into the next room to do what needed to be done. Hades sighed heavily feeling a horrible sinking feeling in his chest, he then pulled out the ring from his pocket.

'Love ya too babe..' He whispered in a soft defeated tone as his fingers enclosed around the last piece of his heart. '-more than ya know..'

* * *

'You want me to what?!' Zeus' voice boomed with incredulity as Hermes' jaw fell open in shock, nobody in the entire history of the gods had ever suggested anything quite like this before.

'You heard me.' Persephone said in a stubborn voice while folding her arms across her chest defiantly. It was clear by the slight scowl and the steely glint in her brilliant green eyes that the goddess would not waver from her statement. Zeus eyed the goddess before him for a long moment absorbing the shocking announcement she had just made. His first reaction was to think that Hades had put her up to this. However judging by the look of surprise on his brother's face, the fiery god clearly had no clue that Demeter's daughter had been planning this..

'Seph..' Hades finally sounded, his voice was slightly hushed by the sudden rush of affection that he felt for this goddess before him. '-ya don't have to do this..' Persephone looked around to the doorway where the god was lent. The firm look melted away from her eyes as she looked at the face of the man she loved, the young goddess sighed then a small watery smile appeared.

'Yes I do..' She sounded softly. '-at least this way.. one of us is free.'

'Why should I pardon Hades?!' Zeus suddenly demanded causing Persephone to turn and return the firm gaze to the tanned god before her. 'After everything he's done to me-'

'-What about everything you've done _me_?!' Persephone retorted hotly before the Lord of Olympus could finish. Zeus suddenly fumed to himself. So that's what this was all about, the little brat was still upset about what had happened six decades ago..

Hades' eyes widened at how emotional Persephone was getting with Zeus, her hair had once more flickered into life and her eyes were brimming with tears again. Ok, clearly he was missing some vital information. Hermes on the other hand was looking back and forth between the two deities worried as he knew exactly what they were arguing about.

'Oh not this again..' Zeus sighed with frustration, he was tired of hearing this argument. Persephone was the only god clinging to the past, why couldn't she just accept that he was gone.. 'Yes this again!' The young goddess pouted irritably.

'How can you punish him-' She gestured to her flame-haired lover. '-when you actually _murdered_ my father and got off scot-free!!'

'_What_?!' Hades sounded shocked by this sudden revelation then calming down slightly he added to Hermes, 'Wait.. who's Persephone's dad?'

'Iasion, he was Demeter's hubby until he died sixty three years ago.' The Messenger god responded calmly.

'Whoa, whoa, whoa hold on a sec… Demeter got married??' Hades sounded in amazement before suddenly snarling, '_Why am I just learning this now_?!' The god's now large orange hand enclosed around the Messenger God's throat making him choke.

'That was completely different, I didn't intentionally kill him, it was an accident!' Zeus said firmly. 'I've been trying to make it up to you ever since he died.'

'By what?!' Persephone snarled. 'Adopting me as your-' She air quoted the next word and pulled a breif face of disgust. '-'daughter' then just standing by as my mother strangles the life out of me?!' Persephone paused breathing heavily as she tried to calm down. Zeus glanced at his sundial, it was almost sunrise now and he was running out of time.

'Fine.. you win..' The tanned god sighed reluctantly causing Hades to suddenly return blue and stare in shock at Zeus, Hermes managed to pry himself out of the god's grip and splutter as he tried to breathe.

'If you return willingly to your mother he'll get a full pardon, but I'm not letting him back on the council-' Zeus added sternly. '-do we have a deal..' The Lord of Olympus held out his large golden hand to Persephone who paused studying it..

'You promise that no other gods or Hercules will go after him and his involvement with the Titan 'incident' will be stricken from the records?' She added warily as her eyes return to his.

'I swear by the Styx..' Zeus said moving his hand as if determined that she should shake.

'Fine…' Persephone said and before Hades could protest she gripped Zeus' hand and there was a flash of blinding white light.

* * *

Once the light vanished and Hades' eyes adjusted once more to the darkness of the Underworld the god gazed forlornly around the empty throne room. Hermes and Zeus were gone, taking with them the only being in the entire cosmos that he had ever cared about. Persephone… Hades suddenly dropped to his knees as the enormity of the sacrifice she had made for him sunk in. She had given up her freedom so that he could be free instead.. He supposed he should be relieved that he was now off the hook and allowed back on Olympus… Persephone must truly have loved him to do something like that…

Then instantly the pain of loss hit the fiery god of the Underworld and he lent backwards letting out the most horrific sound, a mixture of rage, confusion and despair rocketed through the vast caverns of the Underworld. It caused every being in the realm to stop what they were doing and look in the direction of the House of Hades as the large black skull was engulfed in orange flames.

When the house finally died down the Lord of the Underworld dropped his head on the burnt out chessboard. The entire room was now badly charred or scorched and smoking heavily. Hades finally sighed heavily and raised his head not caring about the state of the room. He then paused as movement from the black stone ground caught his large golden eyes.

Staring at the spot Hades watched as a single bright pink flower bloomed from the scorched ground only a few feet away from him. The god's brow furrowed once more and his face turned red as the flames shot out…

'_I friggin' hate Spring!!_' Hades screamed blasting the flower incinerating it to ash.

* * *

Little Notes:

Hey Everybody, I know I usually try to update one story then the other but I've been having what I call 'Stupid Block' with H.o.T.T where I know what I want to write but for some crazy reason I can't word it.. So I decided to carry on with P.o.P until I can figure it out…

Finally, the truth about Persephone's mysterious past is out. It's well overdue I know but you've been getting little clues over the story. Her father is Iasion… for those who've not done your Greek Homework he was actually a lover of Demeter who got smote out of jealousy by Zeus, in myth he fathered Plutus but as this is my story I changed it to add depth to Persephone. It's also perfect for explaining why Demeter smothers her daughter so much…

The title of this Chap as you probably noticed is a Meg quote from the film and it perfectly describes Persephone's sacrifice which is in keeping with the myth.

Poor Hades, I must admit I wanted to cry after writing this…(sobs) it's so sad…

Hope you all got tissues… Lot's of Love Ditzy xXx


	32. Every Dark Cloud has a Silver Lining,,,

**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**

**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**

**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Thirty-Two:**__**Every Dark Cloud has a Silver Lining,,, Somewhere**_

The months had passed slowly ever since Persephone had made the deal to sacrifice her own freedom so Hades could be a free god, at the time it seemed like the right choice but now she was back under the watchful eyes of her mother, she wasn't so sure..

Once she had returned to the big cloud Persephone found herself being swept into a bone-shattering hug from an overly emotional Demeter, then the young goddess was subjected to the lecture from Tartarus for running off with the most dangerous deity in the cosmos and leaving her poor frantic mother fearing for the worst. And it only got worse once Demeter's ranting was over as the young goddess was given another serious lecture from her adoptive father Zeus for being so utterly irresponsible. The tanned god was very disappointed in Persephone. She stayed in the Underworld without having the decency to inform any of them where she was, how her actions had now seriously affected the mortals on the surface, it would take them weeks to recover from this and the gods would be lucky if the whole of Greece didn't loose faith in them, then finally Zeus ended his lecture by chiding Persephone, informing her sternly that if she wanted to be taken seriously as an adult goddess then she better start acting like one fast.

By the end of the day Persephone found herself under Olympus Lock-Down, she was confined to the cloud and not allowed off until an official position could be found for her, clearly she had too much time on her hands. But finding a job the young goddess could do was going to take some time, with so many gods already on the big cloud openings for new deities were practically non-existent, there was no telling how long Persephone would have to wait before she'd have a purpose.

Hermes glanced over towards Persephone and sighed, the young goddess was slumped against one of the pillars of the Great Coliseum, she was crying again. She'd been crying on and off the whole time she'd been here. The Messenger God was not entirely sure what exactly it was Persephone saw in the gloomy, sarcastic Hades but after his visit into the Underworld he sympathized with her situation.

'Seph…' The tiny blue god sounded softly causing Persephone to look around with watery, startled eyes that softened at the sight of her best friend. She smiled briefly at him before turning back and sighed heavily.

'I suppose you think what I did was wrong like the rest of them..' The young goddess spoke returning her bloodshot red eyes to her best friend. Hermes smiled gently back at her then drew her into a hug.

'Nahh, you know I've always said 'what's the point of immortality if ya don't test it once in a while' … besides the others will get over it, they're just miffed 'cause ya outsmarted them..'

'Yehh…' Persephone smirked grimly. '-and I've been paying for it ever since I got here..' The goddess pouted miserably. It was true, Persephone may have finally gotten rid of that 'mommies little flower' image that Demeter had been trying to force on her, but the other gods were now shunning her because of what she'd done for Hades… not that Persephone cared, as far as she was concerned it just proved how petty and narrow minded the gods on Olympus were..

'Hey…' Hermes smiled nudging her. '-ya forgettin' somethin' honey..' Persephone blinked, rousing herself from her thoughts then turning to the tiny god confused. '-your only stuck here until the big man finds ya a job..'

'Hmm..' Persephone made a small noise of amusement. '-somehow I can't see that happening any time soon..' Hermes smiled in a secretive manner.

'-it might happen sooner than ya think..' He sounded then fluttered upwards as Persephone blinked taking in his words then whirled around.

'What does that mean?' She asked but Hermes raised his brows amused.

'You'll see…' He smirked then shot off for the council meeting that was due to start any moment now in a brilliant blue blur. Persephone frowned in his direction wondering what exactly was going on. That was the problem with being both a social outcast and a minor goddess with no standing whatsoever, nobody on this _stupid cloud _told you anything..

The goddess turned back out and gazed over the surface. Below that peaceful land was her true home, the gloomy house of the dead. How she missed it's dark and sunless depths, how she longed to return to it, to the god she loved, to Hades… Persephone suddenly looked solemn …no amount of responsibilities Zeus bestowed on her was going to stop her from returning to his side the moment her freedom was granted, she'd swear it by the Styx…

* * *

'You do it…'

'No you do it..'

'No you…'

'You…'

Pain and Panic pushed the clipboard back and forth arguing about who was going to talk to Hades. The Lord of the Underworld had been in a peculiar mood ever since Persephone had left, both imps knew the god had always been quick to anger but recently his mood swings had been so volatile that all the imps had to do was sneeze and they'd become a pile of ash on the floor. Despite Hades' recent behaviour the two imps sympathized with their broken-hearted boss, after all they missed Persephone too. Not only was she a great distraction that stopped Hades flaming them every time they did something wrong but for once it was nice to see the boss happily settled with someone who liked him for who he really was. The goddess had also become sort of a mother figure to both Pain and Panic and the two imps had grown very fond of her, they'd actually been secretly hoping that the boss was going to marry her but thanks to Zeus, that seemed unlikely now…

Finally after much pushing and shoving, the clipboard landed on the floor between the imps with a loud clattering noise causing both of them to suddenly glance nervously to Hades.

The Lord of the Underworld didn't respond to the noise, except maybe to sigh heavily and slouch further down into his throne. The god was toying with the figurine of Persephone again, gazing at it with sad narrowed eyes as it rolled between his fingers.

Pain suddenly snatched up the clipboard and threw his timid green partner a look that clearly said 'I'll do it but you owe me'. Then both imps nervously approached Hades.

'Uh…' Pain sounded unsure what to say to their unhappy master. '-we're sorry to cut in on your wallowing your gloominess but there's some business that needs your attention-' That did it, Hades' fingers enclosed around the figurine of Persephone as his golden eyes snapped onto the two imps with a fixed glaring look.

'Not now..' Hades responded firmly before turning back to the figurine.

'But sir, we need your advice on what to do about-' Panic started but was cut off as Hades flared an angry orange colour.

'I said.. _No!!!_' The god roared the last word while forgetfully slamming the hand with Persephone's figurine in it onto the arm of his throne. The god's flames instantly returned to blue at the sound of it breaking. Gingerly Hades turned to the arm of the throne and removed his hand.

'Aw geez…' Hades uttered gazing at the shards that used to be Persephone, then he whipped around to the imps who were quivering nervously. '-_now look whatcha made me do!!_' The orange flames returned as his features twisted with annoyance. Both imps cried out in a mixture of agony and shock as, once again, they were propelled backwards by an enormous fireball into the, surprisingly, cold black wall of the throne room.

Pain and Panic groaned a low aching noise as they slid down, revealing yet another scorch-mark stencil of themselves in an excruciating position. They both opened their eyes a minuscule amount just in time to see Hades get up out of his throne, still glaring at them and vanish in a whirl of black smoke…

* * *

Bacchus couldn't help the burst of excitement that swept over him as the council meeting adjourned and the other gods went their separate ways. Finally, after nearly six months of hoping his little sister Persephone was getting a job… Zeus had finally found a job the young goddess could do, he'd had to create this new position just for her but at least now she had a purpose. She'd be initiated at the Great Harvest festival in a few weeks time and be given her official title and duties. As Persephone's brother and the newest member of the council Bacchus had been given the great honour of informing his sister of this exciting news..

The God of Parties had just gotten up from his chair and was about to go and inform his sister when Hermes appeared clapping him on the back and grinning widely.

'I can't believe it's finally happenin' man..' The tiny blue god beamed widely.

'I know, this is gonna totally blow her mind! I can't wait to tell her!!' Bacchus grinned broadly back then suddenly Hermes noticed something and nudged Bacchus who glanced in the direction the Messenger God was looking. The God of Parties' smile faltered at the sight of his green-skinned mother who was still in her seat hunched over the table crying. Sat next to her was her sister Heista who was trying and failing to comfort her.

'Err… maybe ya better deal with mom first..' Hermes sounded grimly then checked his sun dial. 'Ouch, I gotta go… promised the chief I'd go down to the Underworld and make sure Hades attends the Harvest Festival.. won't be too hard to convince him to come now, eh?' Hermes winked nudging the rotund pink god playfully.

'What does my sister see in him anyway?' Bacchus' brow furrowed in slight confusion, although he didn't hold any major grudge against Hades for the 'Titan Incident'.. in fact his defeat had meant that the celebrations afterwards had been pretty awesome.. the pink god still didn't understand way his little sister liked him so much, but then he didn't understand why she had liked that jerk Adonis, Persephone had weird taste in men…

'I dunno, but he seems to like her as much as she likes him..' The Messenger God sounded. '-according to Charon he's not been himself since she left. See ya buddy..' The tiny god shot out of the council room and did a massive downwards arch, shooting off like a brilliant blue bullet to the Underworld. Bacchus sighed heavily and stepped around the table to his mother Demeter. Heista looked up and smiled warmly at him as he sat down on the opposite side of the green nature goddess.

'Ma..' He sounded gently taking one chubby green hand in his causing Demeter to look up at him. '-you should be happy for Seph… she's finally getting a job..'

'I know Bacchus sweetie, I am happy about that..' Demeter sniffed and pulled a handkerchief out of her large bosom and wiped her eyes. '-but I know the minute she gets her freedom she's going to leave me..' The goddess began crying again and Heista hugged her tight.

'It's ok Demeter…' She soothed. '-everything's going to be ok..'

'Ma, did ya ever stop to think that maybe it's time for her to go?' Bacchus sounded causing Demeter to blink confused at him.

'What do you mean?'

'Heh c'mon Ma, open your eyes and look at Persephone… she miserable..'

'And how-' Demeter flared irritably. '-is being with Hades going to solve that!'

'Because maybe being with him made her happy Ma, in a way neither you or I could do.. Don'tcha want her to be happy?'

'Of course I do..' Demeter sounded as her bottom lip quivered.

'Then do something for me. Watch her at the Harvest Festival, _really_ watch her Ma, then listen to what she tells you and you'll know how to make her happy..' Demeter blinked confused by his words, not following what he could possibly mean.

'Alright Bacchus.. I will..' She nodded vaguely as Heista smiled at her nephew. The Goddess of Hearth knew at that moment that Zeus had made the right decision in giving Hades' seat to him.

'Now if ya don't mind.. I gotta go tell Seph the great news..' Bacchus' boyish smile reappeared as his excitement returned and the rotund god vanished in a pink shimmer to go find his sister.

* * *

Hades sighed as the eerie beauty of the Pool of Lethe appeared before him. He wasn't sure why he had come here, probably because this sinister garden was Persephone's favourite place in the whole Underworld and being here was almost like being with her again. Everything in this grove was her, from the tiny glowing star flowers to the dreary weepy willow trees. All her love and attention went into turning this barren beach scene into a place of true immortal beauty and Hades was so glad that this part of Persephone would always be here… even if she was not..

The god chose to settle under one of the five large willow trees, this one was perfectly positioned to give a panoramic view of the Pool of Lethe. Hades sighed heavily as he slumped against the firm base of the tree and gazed sadly around the grove once more. He missed Persephone so much. And it wasn't just her company he missed, although he missed that a lot, he missed the feelings he got just from simply knowing that she was somewhere nearby, how just being with her was enough to brighten his day. He certainly didn't get the same kick out of torturing Pain and Panic that he got when he could impress Persephone with his skilful flame-throwing, watching her gasp with surprise and giggle in amusement added to the fun of minion torture, since she was no longer around it had lost it's appeal. Just like everything else it was another mindless chore…

Hades slumped back against the tree and pulled out the ring from his chiton pocket, he'd kept it on him ever since Persephone had gone. It was a talisman of what he'd lost, of how once again Zeus had managed to hurt him… so while Mr Lightning Bolts was playing the big hero routine he, Hades was stuck down here trying to make something of his, _once more_, shattered existence..

..Nice, real nice, and here he'd thought for all these centuries _he_ was supposed to be the malicious one…? Hades flared a nasty shade of orange at this, thank Persephone the Grove of Lethe was immortal or he would have to do some serious kissing up to her… if he ever saw her again. He was too busy fuming at the thought of Zeus lording it up on Olympus that the fiery god failed to notice a flash of blue or hear the fluttering of winged-sandals.

'Whoa…' The dangerously familiar voice sounded part-way amused. '-who burnt your butt?' Hades blinked in surprise, his flames receding to blue as he blinked and gazed at the tiny blue god who was hovering a few feet away. Hades quickly got over it and glared at him for interrupting his aimless moping, couldn't a guy sulk in peace?

'Whadda ya want Hermes…?' The fiery god drawled in a firm tone and pocketed the ring before Hermes asked any more annoying questions.

'Came to personally deliver your invitation to this years Great Harvest festival..' The tiny god beamed and pulled a purple invitation scroll out of nowhere and passed it to Hades.

'Hmmm..' Hades sounded thoughtfully as he scanned the scroll. '-'by order of Zeus'…' He read the last line which was written in letters twice the size of the rest of it. '-in other words… get your immortal butt up here or I'm gonna come down there and throw bolts atcha until ya get your butt up here..' Hades shrugged then threw the scroll back at Hermes, it hit the Messenger God's head with a small 'whump' then fell on the grove floor. '-sounds like I don't have a choice, what's so great about this year's harvest anyway.. you gods never gave a toss if I showed up or not before..'

'This year is different..' Hermes sounded and Hades snorted with derision.

'Sure it is…' He sound sarcastically folding his arms and pouting sulkily. '-we both know Zeus only wants me there so he can humiliate me in front of the rest of the god squad.. _again_!!' Hades flared at the memory of Jerkules' Birth Celebration.

'Oh riiight…' Hermes drawled smirking amused. '-and it couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that Persephone is going to be given a divine purpose..' He spoke in a low voice which made Hades blink surprised.

'Seph's getting a job…?' The fiery god sounded softly before his scowl returned. 'So what?!' Hades snapped moodily turning away. 'It's not like I'll get to see her anyway, Demeter'll be guarding her like Cerberus with a bone..'

'Maybe..' Hermes suddenly looked sly. '-but once Persephone is a fully-fledged goddess at the end of the night she's free of Demeter..' Hades looked back amazed. 'Zeus is only forcing her to stay on Olympus until she has a purpose.. after that, she can go wherever she wants as long as she does her job… and I know for a fact that she misses you babe..' For a long moment Hades just stared at Hermes, then without warning a light went off in his head… all he had to do was sit through one god-awful Harvest Festival and Persephone would be free to come home with him…

'So…' Hermes adopted an innocent stance trying to ignore Hades' sudden good mood, and full mane of long blue flames, as realisation hit him. '-can I count on your presence..?'

Hades' blue flames died slightly as he gazed at Hermes in disbelief…

'Sheesh, whatta ya, nuts?!' Hades suddenly grinned widely. 'I wouldn't miss this for the cosmos!!'

* * *

Little notes:

Hey Everybody, I hope your all still enjoying the story as this is yet another part of my story which swerves away from the more popular myth of Persephone, please keep the reviews coming as I'm _sooo_ tantalizingly close to finishing this story now and it be nice to hear how your all liking it, as well as letting me know that some of my long-term fans are still out there and alive and well (I am deeply concerned about that)… love you all, you're the reason this story has come as far as it has…xXx

Ok, there isn't really a lot I can add that isn't explained already in the chapter… I'm getting better at writing these things I'm telling ya..

I had to bring Pain and Panic back!! They've been absent for so long and the end of the story wouldn't seem right without them in it somewhere…

…keep reading and all will be revealed soon!!

Take Care… Ditzy xXx


	33. So Tonight Zeus, my Title is,,,?

_Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me._

_Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…_

_thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx…._

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Thirty-Three:**__**So Tonight Zeus, my Title is…?**_

Persephone scowled at her reflection in the long mirror of her bedroom, the most important day of her immortal life was already ruined… Her mother had insisted that her 'little flower' wear something more befitting than her usual purple chitons, after all it was traditional for new goddesses to look innocent, even if _they_ were not. So following much arguing, and sulking on Persephone's part, the young goddess found herself dressed in something floaty, feminine and the _dreaded_ shade of white. This shapeless chiton not only travelled right down to her feet but also covered her fabulous figure completely. The whole look was capped off with a large pink flower petal headdress and white feather earrings.

The outfit Persephone could just about tolerate, after all she had worn something similar to this the day Hercules had defeated the Titans and earned his divine rights, but what was really irritating the young goddess was the change in her skin tone. After being trapped on Olympus for six months without trees to protect her from the dazzling sunshine the goddess' usually pale white skin had turned into a healthy lilac tan. Persephone hated having a tan as it made her look more like a sweet little mama's girl, which she'd just proved she wasn't.

There was a knock on the door of her cloudy bedroom then Bacchus shoved his head through the cloud and beamed at his little sister.

'Wow sis..' He beamed taking in Persephone's outfit. '-you look great..' The young goddess scowled at her brother before turning back to the mirror.

'Oh _please…_' She huffed while pulling a few strands loose from her flower-petal headdress so that she had a few curls of blonde hair framing her lilac face. 'Baccs I look like I should be shoved in an over-sized plant pot!!' The God of Parties merely smiled good-naturedly at his little sister's comment, she'd always had a tendency to be slightly over dramatic.

'So are ya nervous about today?' The rotund pink god suddenly asked her changing the subject.

'A little..' Persephone confessed smiling at her older brother.

'It'll be ok Sephy..' Bacchus smiled standing behind her and hugging her. '-Zeus'll introduce ya to the other gods by your new title then you'll be free to enjoy the festivities with everybody else.' Persephone smirked slightly leaning back into her brother.

'That's not what I'm nervous about..' She responded softly with a flash of uncertainty in her eyes.

'Then what's bothering ya sis?' The rotund pink god asked looking concerned, Persephone looked at the reflection of her older brother. He was smiling kindly at her with ruddy rosy cheeks, his wavy brown locks were surrounded in a laurel-leaf crown and he was wearing a loose white toga, they'd always told each other everything, the two of them had grown very close after losing Iason. Since she couldn't talk to her mother about her father's death Persephone had turned to Bacchus for comfort, he always knew how to make her feel better..

'I'm nervous about seeing Hades..' Persephone sounded softly and sighed at her reflection. 'I mean look at me Baccs.' The goddess pulled away and turned around to face her brother. 'This isn't the goddess he fell for..'

For a moment Bacchus was unsure how to respond, he gazed at his little sister seeing the tears starting to form in her brilliant green eyes, she needed some brotherly reassurance.

'Sephy..' Bacchus sighed then gently took his sister's dainty lilac hands. '-if he really loves ya, he's not gonna give a dam what ya look like… he's just gonna be happy to see ya..' Suddenly Persephone smiled widely at him with a glimmer of hope in her green eyes.

...............................................................................................................................................................................

The imps watched their boss as he was getting ready for the Great Harvest Festival. It was very strange to see him so happy about going to a godly get-together, usually he spent most of the morning moaning about what a complete waste of time it was and how there was really no need for him to go in the first place. The imps had learnt long ago not to bother asking why he went if the gatherings were so boring, that question was usually answered by a fireball to the face.

'Let's see..' Hades pondered to himself, trying to think what it was he was forgetting. Suddenly he snapped his fingers as it came to him then he twirled his wrist manifesting a bottle of aftershave out of a wisp of smoke. He opened the bottle and smelt the contents, the scent of it caused his blue flames to ripple down his shoulders briefly before receding to normal. 'Old Spice… my _personal_ favourite..' Taking a small amount of the aftershave in his palms the fiery god slapped it on smirking to himself, usually he wouldn't make such an effort for the Harvest Festival but since this was also the first time he was going to see Persephone since she'd left he wanted to look his best for her.

'Can we come with you this time?' Pain asked hopefully causing his boss to pause then smirk.

'No!' Hades sounded jauntily returning the bottle of aftershave to it's home with a wave of his hand, not even the imps stupidity could ruin his good mood.

'No fair..' Panic groused pouting as Pain looked disappointed. '-we never get to do anything fun..'

'Yeh, well… ya can thank Zeus for his 'no minions on Olympus' policy..' Hades sounded in an indifferent tone checking his reflection over and smirking pleased by what he saw, he was definitely going to have one satisfied goddess.

'Alright boys..' The Lord of the Underworld sighed turning away from the mirror to face both imps. '-ya think ya can run this place for a few hours _without_ getting on the wrong side of the Gorgon sisters this time?' Hades threw them a sharp look.

'Hey, they started it..' Panic sounded moodily folding his arms petulantly causing their boss to roll his eyes..

'Look, I _don't_ _care_ who started it..' Hades sighed in an exasperated manner running his fingers through his flames irritably. 'I just don't wanna come back and find you two turned to stone while the souls were running around loose 'kay, I want everythin' to be perfect for when Seph comes home..'

'You got it boss..' Both imps suddenly stood ridged and saluted the god.

'Cute..' Hades smiled briefly before suddenly checking the time and sighing. 'Well, best be off.. this is one celebration I don't wanna be late for..' The Lord of the Underworld promptly swept past his minions and descended the stairs to the Styx where his chariot would be waiting for him.

'Knock her dead your flamefulness..' Pain called out cheerfully from the top of the stairs causing Hades to laugh softly.

'Flame-kissing little yutzes..' He uttered shaking his head amused. His smile vanished almost instantly as his stomach lurched nervously. Hades stopped as he reached the bottom of the steps and the god gazed out at the pearly blue waters of the Styx. A tiny flicker of doubt crept through his mind now as his golden orbs turned to his jagged black chariot. He'd been so wrapped up in his own excitement over seeing Persephone once more he hadn't wondered if she would want to see him. After all, she had been living on Olympus for six months now, although it wasn't a particularly long stretch of time for a god but it was long enough.. and what was the gloomy Underworld compared to the glamour of Olympus? What did he have to offer her other than a lifetime sentence in this dark depressing place? Hades sighed heavily, he'd been shunned before but thanks to his failed attack on Olympus over fifteen months ago he was a complete outcast now… anybody who was affiliated with him was likely to be treated like a pariah as well; they'd have to be willing put up with all those filthy looks, sneering comments and cruel jokes… he could never ask Persephone to do that for him, she deserved better than that. What she deserved was more than what he could ever offer her… Hades boarded his chariot and twirled the reins around his long bluish-grey fingers and took a deep cleansing breath, he really needed to see her.. A smirk suddenly twisted across his full dark lips and with a harsh cry the fiery god yanked roughly on the reins rousing the scaly black griffin from his lazy stance. The creature instantly spreading it's long leathery wings with a heinous cry and the chariot shot forwards at an incredible speed.

……………………………….............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Persephone fidgeted nervously as she stood alone behind the creamy gossamer curtains that separated her from the rest of the gods who were already crowding the stage of the Great Coliseum. Her mother's Harvest Festivals had always had a great turn out but it seemed like every god in the cosmos had turned up to catch a glimpse of her. The lilac-skinned goddess separated the curtains a fraction so she could peek out at the large mass of multi-coloured gods that were talking amongst themselves. She could see her mother chatting with Athena and Poseidon, probably gushing about how wonderful her harvests were. Heista, Hera and Artemis were only a few feet away with Aphrodite who glanced at her husband Hephaistos, the blacksmith glared back irritably at his wife before turning away huffily causing the Goddess of Love to sigh sadly before turning back to the other goddesses. At the other side of the room her brother Bacchus was with Apollo, Cupid and Aries, the God of War glanced in the direction of Aphrodite but quickly turned back to glare at his friends who were snickering and wolf-whistling at him.

Persephone rolled her eyes amused by the immaturity of her brother and his friends before turning her eyes back to the crowd. She frowned slightly at the sight of Hecate who was lounging with Nemesis by the buffet table.. The lilac-skinned goddess sighed heavily as she double-checked the coliseum in case she had missed something then dejectedly she withdrew, Persephone felt like someone had just kicked her in the gut… she couldn't see Hades anywhere. He had to come, she didn't know what she would do if he didn't. He was the only reason that she had been looking forward to this day… Persephone sighed heavily running her hands over her slim lilac arms unsurely.. how was she supposed to get through this day without him? She felt her bright green eyes well up with tears… he had to come, he just had to.. Hades wouldn't leave her to suffer eternity in the dullest place above Earth..

……………………………….............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

…At the same moment Persephone had withdrawn one final guest made his less-than-eagerly-awaited debut on Olympus. Hades glanced around the gathering warily, he hadn't been seen on Olympus for over fifteen months and wasn't expecting a particularly warm welcome back. His large golden orbs scanned the crowd who seemed to be deliberately ignoring him. Not that Hades cared, the frosty treatment made a refreshing change from the let's-all-glare-at-Hades treatment he was used to receiving. Deciding to avoid as much social contact as possible the Lord of the Underworld skulked around the edge of the crowd. Once Hades had found himself a well-located place to spend the next few hours of mind-numbing-boredom, the fiery god slouched against a pillar and studied the crowd with a uninterested expression.

There were a lot of new gods floating about, either that or he had forgotten just how many gods actually lived on this stupid cloud. And Hera and Zeus were _still_ having kids?!

_Sheesh, just keep packin__' 'em in Bolt Boy, Olympus ain't quite full yet.._

Hades snorted shaking his head with disapproval, if he had this many gods in the Underworld he'd be tearing his flames out, hence why the moment he had control of Olympus he'd chained them all up with the intention of imprisoning them in Tartarus for eternity… _or had he? _This last thought made Hades' eyes widen at a sudden memory flashback of that night… he'd watched every chained-up-deity leave the cloud, they'd all been rounded up.. _except_ Persephone. Hades had not seen her beautiful face amongst the others in the procession that left Olympus. She couldn't have been on Olympus that night, Demeter had probably ditched her on Sicily again, but of course once Olympus was back under Zeus' rule she probably sent Hermes to go fetch her 'little flower' so she was safe with the other gods…

Hades sighed heavily before turning his attention back to the crowd…

'Let's see…' Hades drawled to himself and began to study the faces nearest him. _Yutz… yutz… another yutz… big yutz… even bigger yutz… hmm, forgotten how many yutzes there were on Olympus.. Which reminds me; don't tip the cherubs… Hermes!!_ The Lord of the Underworld blinked before his eyes turned back in the direction of the tiny blue Messenger God who skidded to a halt in front of him beaming like the moronic god he was.

'Hey there stranger…' He sounded cheerfully suddenly floating upside down while still beaming that idiotic grin. '-nice to have ya back amongst the living..' Hades rolled his eyes.

'Wish I could say it's nice to be back..' The fiery god replied stiffly narrowing his eyes while ignoring the impulse to swat Hermes like the big blue insect he was, after all he _was_ Persephone's best friend.

'Well I think it's nice to have ya back, if that ain't a little too nutty..' Hermes smirked swivelling the right way round. '-besides things will change, eternity's a long time to hold a grudge babe.. few decades down the line and the whole Titan thing'll probably be forgotten anyway..'

'Yeh.. right..' Hades uttered sceptically before deciding to swiftly change the subject onto more pressing matters. 'So how's Seph been holdin' up?'

'Eh..' Hermes waved a small blue hand from side to side. 'So-so… depends on the time of day and how much her mom's been buggin' her… she's been missin' you of course, although most on this cloud can quite figure out why..' Hermes rolled his eyes animatedly in a 'no surprise there' manner. '-between you and me buddy I don't think many approved of her stickin' up for ya.. I overheard some of the others whisperin' about it the other week and..' The tiny blue Messenger God suddenly looked nervous. '-well… let's just say it wasn't very nice..' Hades flared momentarily orange at the thought of the other gods sniping about Persephone behind her back.

'Does Seph know?' The fiery god asked concerned and Hermes shook his head firmly.

'Nope, but I think she suspects cause they've been givin' her the cold shoulder since she arrived back here six months ago..' Hermes paused to glance around the throng of gods before returning to Hades. '-hey, listen man I gotta run but it was nice chattin' to ya, we should do it more often..' With a small wave Hermes vanished off into a blue blur, shooting through the crowd to the front where Zeus was getting ready to give his speech. Hades sighed and slouched further against the pillar… _this was gonna be a long night…_

_.................................................................................................................................................................................._

'Ya gettin' nervous babe?' A friendly voice made Persephone blink startled before relaxing as her green eyes rested on Hermes.

'Terrified..' Persephone admitted feeling the butterflies in her stomach start to jitter again, she could hardly believe that she was finally getting a purpose, finally she wouldn't have to hide in the shadow of her mother.. She was free to be who she wanted to be...

'You'll do fine babe..' Hermes flashed her a sympathetic smile and squeezed her fingers tightly. '-just relax Seph… after today, you'll be a _bona fide_ goddess..' Persephone squeezed his hand back briefly.

'Well..' She sighed then smiled widely. '-let's get this over with, huh?'

……………………………….............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Zeus beamed around the assembly before him then he cleared his throat loudly causing the chatter to stop as all the gods in the room looked in his direction with interest and warm smiles.

'Another year has come and gone and after the Titans I really thought that things couldn't get any worse..' The tanned god sighed before looking up and grinning. 'Shows how wrong I was!!' There was a brief ripple of laughter which caused Hades to half-roll his eyes.

'But seriously..' Zeus started again as the laughter died. '-we sometimes forget how important each and every one of us is in balancing out the Grand Design, how we all are interlinked through our jobs and if even just one of us neglects to perform our duties it would have disastrous consequences on the world.' The Lord of Olympus paused before continuing. 'It is for this reason that I have decided to create a new position for our newest goddess. It will be her job to ensure that the events of this year are _never_ repeated. It will be her job to ring in the spring and to ensure that new life continues to flourish. It will also be her job to ensure that those who've earned it shall get a second chance at life..'

'_What_!!' Hades flared a brief shade of orange in shock as his jaw hit the floor. Was Zeus _actually_ suggesting that dead souls were going to be _leaving_ _the Underworld?! _The Lord of Olympus carried on regardless of his little brother's outburst.

'-I give you our new Goddess of Life…' He paused for dramatic effect and turned his large golden arms towards the gossamer curtains. Behind them Hermes gripped the cord tightly and grinned at Persephone.

'This is it honey..' He whispered and Persephone grimaced fearfully suddenly feeling ill.

'-_Persephone!!_' Zeus' voice boomed spectacularly and Hermes whisked the curtains back revealing the pale lilac-skinned goddess in her shapeless white dress and large pink flower crown…

……………………………….............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

_Little Notes:_

_Hey Everybody… Uhh, how mean am I, eh? You wait all this time for me to update and I leave you with yet another cliff-hanger, but this time it's an awesome hanger…_

_How will Hades react when he sees Persephone's new look? Why is Hephaistos upset with Aphrodite? And what's going to happen next?!_

_Review and I'll tell you…_

_Take Care… Lot's of Love Ditzy xXx_


	34. Misfits of a Feather should Stick Togeth

_Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me._

_Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…_

_thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx…._

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Thirty-Four:Misfits of a Feather should Stick Together**_

Hades' golden eyes widened in further shock as the gossamer curtain was pulled back revealing Persephone…

_Ho-ly Nyx!_

The fiery god stared at his estranged missus, he knew her appearance might have changed a little since she had left the Underworld six months ago and with no shade on Olympus he could overlook the lilac tan, _but_ _the_ _outfit_… Hades wrinkled his nose in disgust as he took in the ridiculous vivid pink flower crown and revolting shapeless white chiton… this had to be Demeter's doing. There was no way in Tartarus Persephone had picked this outfit, it was obvious from how uneasy she looked standing on stage with Zeus..

Persephone smiled tightly and wiggled her dainty fingers in a half-hearted wave to the crowd who were all smiling at her. Gingerly, the young goddess took the few steps forward so she was standing beside Zeus. The brand-new Goddess of Life had never felt so uncomfortable in all her immortal life, she just wished she could sink through the clouds… well, she _could_ but her mother would kill her, especially as Demeter was wearing her very best 'don't-you-do-anything-to-embarrass-me-young-lady' look… Persephone's smile faltered as she spotted a figure stood at the back of the coliseum away from the other deities. In the shadowy corner the lilac-skinned goddess could only make out a set of wide golden orbs and a tuft of brilliant blue flame hair… Persephone quickly turned her eyes away before the scarlet blush threatening to cross her cheeks could appear, Hades seemed to be doing an excellent impersonation of a smoking goldfish in her direction.

_Ok, it was official… this has to be the most embarrassing day of my life.._

Zeus chuckled amused by Persephone's nauseous expression, the young goddess clearly wasn't used to this kind of attention.

'Y'know..' He smiled broadly at her. '-for a Goddess of Life I thought you might be a little more.. _perky_!' Persephone's lilac face and wide green eyes swivelled to Zeus in shock as the golden tanned god then roared in mirth at her. 'Ya get it… perky!'

Suddenly the whole coliseum erupted into laughter, some gods were even holding their sides while laughing at Zeus' awful joke..

Hades didn't laugh, he glared at Zeus as his face grew a light shade of orange. It was one thing to sit and poke fun at him but to sit and ridicule his little Sephykins… that was just uncalled for.

Persephone was glaring at Zeus as the massive tanned god fell back into his golden throne that had appeared out of the cloudy floor.

'.. perky… hah, I kill myself..' Zeus sounded gleefully while snickering on his throne. Persephone frowned at the Lord of Olympus… she could feel a wave of anger sweep over her but the young goddess squashed it… _don't rise to it, just don't rise to it_.. then Persephone swivelled indignantly and stalked off the stage, moving swiftly into the crowd of gods trying to get as far away from the insensitive oaf as possible.. she couldn't wait to get off this stupid cloud.

Meanwhile Hades' nostrils flared with irritation but he decided that his brother wasn't worth the effort, mainly because Zeus had finally stopped laughing when he spotted the dark expression on Demeter's face.

'What?' He sounded looking at her bemused. 'Hey, it's not my fault if she can't take a joke!' He shot at the Goddess of Nature who had her hands on her hips, she merely shook her head and rolled her cornflower-blue eyes upwards in exasperation. Hades then turned his head away from the stage and scanned the crowds trying to figure out where Persephone had vanished off to…

* * *

The brand-new Goddess of Life had found herself a quiet spot out of the way of the party mainstream which seemed to have settled down after her 'introduction'. Persephone was still fuming over Zeus openly ridiculing her in front of the whole god squad. She was shaking… she was actually still shaking with annoyance towards that narrow-minded imbecile... there was only one way to calm down after that kind of humiliation.

The young goddess laid her palm flat and a packet of cigarettes appeared out of a swirl of orbs. It was amazing how much her stress levels had increased since she'd returned to the big cloud. She not only had to put up with her overbearing mother but the young goddess knew for a fact that the others had been whispering nasty things behind her back, it was kind of obvious when the conversation stopped as she entered the room and they all glared at her. Still, Persephone found that nothing calmed her down better than having a sneaky cigarette. Her mother of course had no idea that her little flower had taken up such a filthy habit… funny really, it wasn't only the relaxing inhales of toxic fumes that soothed Persephone's nerves, it was the familiar smell of burning tobacco which reminded her of her fiery other half…

Opening the packet of cigarettes Persephone held one in her lips then rummaged around her chiton for a lighter.. _Dammit, where was that little-_

'Here..' A low male voice sounded as a large greyish-blue hand appeared with a long golden flame on it's upturned thumb. Appreciatively, the young goddess lit her cigarette taking a few short puffs to ease her temper before enjoying a long lazy drag and slumping against the pillar behind her.

'Rough day, huh?' The male voice sounded both sympathetic and slightly amused and it was only now did Persephone's eyes widen in the realisation of who was stood there. Her green eyes swivelled around to see the fiery Lord of the Dead stood smirking at her. The young goddess felt the scarlet blush threatening to cross her cheeks again… she must look so ridiculous in this get-up. Reining it in she smiled at her other half.

'You don't even know the half of it sweetie..' She sighed while taking a drag and sending smoke everywhere.

'Heh, if you've started smokin' babe I can just imagine..' Hades responded lightly leaning against the pillar with his hand level with Persephone's head. Taking the last drag on her cigarette the young goddess smiled at him in her adorable girly fashion as she took in his familiar appearance.

'You look tired, have you been sleeping ok?' She asked as a slightly concerned frown appeared between her eyebrows, she lifted her dainty lilac fingers to his cheek. Hades flashed a weary smile at her touch then wrapped her tiny fingers in his own larger greyish-blue ones.

'Not really..' He sighed heavily. '-been gettin' a few hours here and there but that's about it..' Persephone's green eyes were roaming his face wide with worry, the nightmares must have been getting worse in her absence… but before she could get him to confirm her suspicions a booming voice interrupted them.

'Hades!' The jovial loud tones of Zeus sounded causing the fiery god to shudder with disgust before straightening and turning to his brother with an aggravated expression, then before the god could say anything the tanned Lord of Olympus swept his little brother into an eye-poppingly tight embrace. 'So this is where you've been hiding!' Hades spluttered, he could swear Zeus had just broken a couple of ribs.

Persephone's eyes widened at the expression of pain and discomfort on Hades' face.

'Do you have to be so rough?' She asked in an anxious tone causing Zeus to turn to her and chuckle amused.

'Ahh.. Hades doesn't mind do ya?' He sounded releasing the fiery god then slapping him so hard on the back that Hades wobbled dangerously on the spot, that was going to leave a bruise.

'Well, actually Zeus-' The fiery god sounded regaining his balance but his older brother cut him off mid-sentence.

'So how's things in Underworld these days?' The Lord of Olympus was still beaming at him. Hades blinked before responding.

'Oh y'know..' He shrugged, wincing a little as the spot between his shoulder-blades still hurt. '-the usual.. dark, gloomy and fulla dead people but hey, what ya gonna do?'

Zeus blinked for a moment, he was sure he'd heard that line before, shrugging off the sense of de'ja-vu the golden-skinned god then chuckled at the dark expressions he was getting from both Hades and Persephone.

'Oh come on now, don't be such a pair of stiffs..' Zeus sounded before adding in a deafeningly loud tone, '-join the celebrations..'

'We were enjoying them just fine from back here..' Persephone responded instantly and Zeus shrugged in a 'well I tried' manner.

'Suit yourselves..' He sounded waving them off and then bellowed as he caught sight of someone new to annoy. 'Hephaistos… what are you looking so glum about? This is supposed to be a party not a funeral..' Some of the gods who had been in ear-shot snickered at their ruler's wit…

* * *

Demeter pushed her way through the crowd of gods looking for her daughter, she hadn't seen her little flower since she had stalked off the stage at the start of the night. The Goddess of Nature spotted Zeus heckling Hephaistos while the Blacksmith God looked less than impressed by his father's boisterous comments. Demeter frowned then shook her head with disapproval. This was the last thing he needed, especially after he had just caught his wife cheating on him. The green-skinned goddess turned away in disgust making a mental note to get her sister Hera to talk to him about being more tactful.

As the Goddess of Nature turned away and carried on her search for her daughter she spotted Hecate wandering through the crowds. The Queen of the Night beamed at her friend.

'Demeter..' She sounded cheerily. '-looking for Persephone?' The witch's smile suddenly twisted into a devious smirk. 'She's over there..' Demeter looked over to where Hecate was pointing and spotted the familiar blonde hair and the adorable pink flower crown that made her daughter look so _cute_… then the Nature Goddess spotted who she was standing with and a scowl appeared on her face… _Hades_..

The Harvest festival had only started an hour ago and that flaming idiot was already trying to sweet-talk her little Cora into returning to the Underworld. The goddess felt her blood boil, she had half a mind to just go over there and wrench her little flower out from under his long pointed nose, but then Demeter's sudden impulse stopped in it's tracks… and the goddess remembered what she had promised her son Bacchus.

'Oh Hecate…' The Goddess of Nature sighed causing the witch to turn and blink at her friend. '-what do you think she sees in him?'

Hecate rolled her silver eyes with disapproval, she should have known better than to expect fireworks off of her green-skinned friend. Demeter was such a wet blanket in comparison to some of her more _fiery _siblings, if is wasn't for Heista you'd have never thought of she was the daughter of the sadistic ruler of the Titans. The witch then turned to her friend and shrugged..

'The Fates only know Demeter dear, the Fates only know..' She sighed shaking her head while personally thinking that Persephone had just made her mission to seize control of the Underworld ten times more difficult…

* * *

Unaware that the two immortal women were watching them Hades slouched lazily against the pillar as Persephone was updating him on the latest dramas to hit the big cloud. Usually the fiery god wasn't interested in idle gossip, centuries of listening to Hermes at council meetings droning on about the antics of Olympus was enough to send anybody to sleep, however Hades had found that gossip was much more entertaining when Persephone filtered out the boring bits and went straight onto the juicy tit-bits..

'-Whoa, whoa…' Hades held up a hand pausing Persephone in her story about the latest crack in Hephaistos and Aphrodite's marriage. '-lemmie get this straight, Aphrodite's been cheating on Hephaistos… _with Ares!_' The fiery god suddenly let out a shot of hysterical laughter that made his flaming hair burn even brighter. Persephone beamed widely at him before continuing,

'..then Hephaistos set up this trap to catch them "in the act"-' The goddess flashed a mischievous smirk and her fiery other half raised his brows intrigued. '-and so the next time Aphrodite and Ares went to bed Heph released these finely wrought chains trapping them fast to the bed..' Persephone giggled girlishly before finishing off. '-and if that wasn't embarrassing enough, he then invited all gods on the big cloud to come gawk at her shame..' Hades blinked a few times in shock at the thought of a nude Aphrodite wrapped up in chains, before he'd ever met Persephone he'd have probably rushed out of the Underworld just to catch a glimpse of her… he glanced over at Little Miss Pink and Pretentious, yeh she was pretty but she just didn't arouse his interests anymore.. Hades then lent into his lilac-skinned sweetheart and leered playfully..

'-I know who I'd rather see chained to a bed..' He sounded in a husky low purr causing Persephone to blush a deep shade of scarlet. Hades' eyes narrowed with pleasure at the sight of it… she was always so cute when she was acting innocent..

Persephone giggled girlishly again.

'Stop it…' She squealed pushing him away, why did he always have the ability to make her blush so quickly.. Hades merely smirked wider.

'I've missed you babe..' He then softened taking in her beautiful face. '-the Underworld just ain't the same without ya in it..' Persephone's wide green eyes suddenly filled with emotional tears.

'Oh… I've missed you to sweetie..' She sounded clasping her dainty fingers together and beaming at her fiery god.

'Seph…' Hades suddenly looked a little nervous. '-these last six months have been like the kind of torture only I could come up with.. I don't ever wanna lose ya again..' The Lord of the Underworld then clasped her dainty lilac fingers in his tightly.

'What are you saying Hades?' Persephone asked her thick eyelashes blinking innocently.

'Seph… oh my sweet little siren..' Hades sounded with breathless excitement. '-marry me..'

Persephone blinked stunned for a few moments… was he serious..?

'Hades..' She spoke carefully. '-my mother would never agree and Zeus isn't likely to either-'

'-so we'll get married in the Underworld babe..' The fiery god responded instantly.

'Sweetie..' Persephone sounded exasperated ripping her hand from his grip. '-marriage is not a solution to our problems!' She folded her arms, pouting and turned huffily away..

'Aww come on babe..' Hades spoke in a pleading tone. '-it's not like that.. I wanted to ask ya before Bolt Boy took ya away..' Persephone snorted sceptically keeping her back to him. '-but ya should know if we _were_ married then there'd be nothin' the others could do to split us up..'

'_Hades!_' Persephone hissed swivelling back around irritably. 'There is no way that you were ever going to-' The lilac-skinned goddess' green eyes widened in shock as Hades suddenly produced a ring from his chiton pocket. '-ask me…' She finished faintly staring at the ring in his hand.

It was gorgeous… a simply designed ring of platinum in the shape of one of her star flowers, the navy petals were five shiny indigo sapphires, and the centre was a large round diamond..

'But what about my job?' Persephone suddenly blurted out tearing her eyes away from the beautiful ring. She was expected to be on the surface during spring at the very least.

'We'll work somethin' out.. I promise.' Hades sounded earnestly and Persephone studied his face, she couldn't help the tingly feeling in her gut whenever she was near him and she couldn't deny that she hadn't ever thought about what being married to him would be like…

'Ok…' She sounded looking tearful again. '-let's do it..'

'You really wanna…' Hades suddenly looked momentarily speechless, a rarity even for him.

Persephone nodded excitedly while smiling widely, then suddenly his face split into a wide grin. Blue flames spread quickly over his shoulders as the fiery god swept the tiny lilac-skinned goddess into a passionate kiss.

_

* * *

_

Little notes:

_Hey Everybody, sorry this has taken a little while longer than usual… my life has actually started to get interesting that I haven't had the time to update…_

_Please review…_

_Lot's of Love… Ditzy xXx_


	35. Demeter's Difficult Dilemma

_**Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.**_

_**Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…**_

…_**and please feel free to check out my deviantART page (address is in my profile page)…**_

_**thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….**_

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Chapter Thirty-Five:**__**Demeter's Difficult Dilemma**_

Demeter watched her daughter intrigued. She just couldn't understand what it was about her gloomy, sarcastic baby brother that brought out the kind of smile that the Nature Goddess hadn't seen since her late husband's death. Iason's death had been hard on Persephone, she knew it… and she hadn't exactly been there for her daughter as her own grief had made her oblivious to the fact that her little girl was growing up… Demeter sighed heavily, realising that after six decades of arguing and ignorance on her part, she barely knew Persephone at all…

This made her feel suddenly quite sad…

How could a mother not know her own daughter?

Demeter felt a tear forming in her eye and she turned away from Hades and Persephone who were now hugging and kissing enthusiastically.. Wiping it away quickly the green-skinned goddess sniffed before glancing at Hecate who was eyeing both loved-up deities with a nauseous expression on her sharp features. The witch then rolled her silvery eyes before turning to Demeter with a disgusted pout on her violet lips.

'Excuse me Demeter dear…' She sounded snatching up her blue-flamed torch. '-I think I need to vomit..' Without another word she whirled around and disappeared through the crowd of multi-coloured gods.

For a moment the Nature Goddess watched her go with a questioning look on her face. She then turned back towards her daughter Persephone who was clutching the Lord of the Underworld looking giddy with excitement, her face was flushed and her brilliant green eyes.. so much like her daddy's.. were shining brightly as they gazed at Hades' sharp, gloomy features. She just couldn't understand what her little Cora could possibly find attractive about this god. He was cruel and sarcastic with a sneering smirk of a smile that most gods on this cloud hated… and yet, his large golden eyes were gazing at Persephone with a warm and purposeful look..

Demeter blinked, momentarily thrown by this… then she began to concentrate on the fiery god. The Nature Goddess had never seen this tender side of Hades before. Not only was he gazing fondly at her only daughter but his arms were wrapped gently around her as his fingers ran slowly up and down her hips, until her daughter's tiny lilac fingers entwined around them. Hades' full attention was on her, he wasn't interested in the drunken celebrations of the other gods surrounding them, he only had eyes for her daughter…

Suddenly Persephone's eyes turned and caught sight of her mother… her green eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Demeter watching her.. then the lilac-skinned goddess leaned into Hades and whispered something into his ear causing him to glance over at her. He hesitated, his golden eyes giving away the insecurity he must feel at being caught by the Nature Goddess, then they quickly turned back as Persephone placed a hand on his forearm and whispered something else in his ear.. For a moment Hades frowned as she hurriedly spoke then his face melted into understanding before he straightened pulling away from her..

* * *

Persephone closed her eyes trying to summon the courage to go and speak to her mother… she was so nervous, she could feel the butterflies fluttering in her tummy again. Opening her eyes again Persephone turned to Hades looking for reassurance that everything was going to be ok.. The fiery god winked at her then threw her a smile which caused her to return it, feeling instantly more confident. Then without further ado she picked her way carefully over to where her mother was stood waiting for her.

Demeter smiled a slightly teary smile as her daughter approached her. The Nature Goddess cupped her face in her small, chubby green hands and began examining her face as though seeing her plainly for the first time in decades.

'Oh my little Cora…' She suddenly crooned fondly causing the lilac-skinned goddess to feel like a little girl again. '-I guess I've had my eyes shut pretty tight, not to see how much you've grown…' She let go of her daughter and wiped another tear that was starting to form.

'Mo-ther…' Persephone whined in a frustrated sigh suddenly sounding like a little girl too. 'Please don't call me that, I hate it..'

Demeter's thumbs started to stroke her daughter's cheeks lovingly as she smiled a teary smile at her daughter then continued to muse sadly.

'Now you're a young goddess with your own purpose and your own life..' She glanced over to Hades who was watching from nearby. '-and after tonight, you'll leave for the Underworld without even a second thought..'

'It's ok..' The younger goddess sounded softly clutching Demeter's green hands in her lilac fingers and smiling gently. '-really mother, I can take care of myself, and don't worry..' She suddenly sounded brightly. 'I'll have to come back during the spring anyway, so it's not like you'll never see me again.. and you could always come and visit us..' Demeter gave a watery chuckle at her daughter's words before turning serious again.

'Are you sure this is what you want Cora? I mean, this _is_ Hades we're talking about..' The green-skinned goddess sounded gently squeezing her daughter's fingers tightly. Persephone's smile suddenly widened and her eyes light up at the mention of his name.

'Oh I know it is… you don't know Hades like I do, he's so wild..' She found herself opening up. '-he's offbeat, he's funny, spontaneous and we have this passion for each other that's just..' Persephone tailed off closing her eyes, sighing heavily and smiling wistfully at the memories.

Demeter blinked at her daughter's words then pulled her hands away from her, then gazed over at Hades in disbelief… was this really the same god that she thought she knew so well? Her fiery younger brother had resumed his usual Olympian pastime of watching the festivities with a bored expression, only this time his posture seemed at little more agitated than usual. Perhaps he was worried about what his older sister would make of his open interest in her daughter..

Hades was definitely not the sort of man that Demeter had envisioned her baby girl with, never mind married too. Like any mother she'd always imagined the perfect gentleman, the sort of man that would have a positive and calming influence in her daughter's life. He'd be like sunshine after a rainy day, he'd hold her innocent hand patiently as they'd walk through fields of flowers, maybe sing pretty songs and recite sweet poetry to entice that girly smile from her lips, maybe she'd braid tiny white daisies into his hair and laugh…

… that was what it was like when she and Iason were dating.

Demeter sighed, why hadn't her daughter stayed with that nice mortal boy Adonis. He was handsome, well mannered and he treated her properly… then one day Persephone returned home to Sicily in tears babbling about how they had broken up, not that Demeter had understood much of her daughter's words as she had been crying so much... Then a few days later Demeter had taken her daughter to Olympus for her favourite Aunt Heista's birthday party to try and get her daughter to forget all about Adonis. It seemed to work, Persephone was smiling and laughing again. That was when Apollo had first noticed Persephone, and Demeter couldn't have been more delighted if she'd tried…

Apollo was exactly the kind of god she'd always dreamed of her little Cora being with… and when he approached her expressing an interest in her beautiful Persephone the Nature Goddess was happy to let him try his hand at wooing her… as long as he did it properly.

So every day for the last three years Apollo appeared in Persephone's grove to woo her, but her daughter didn't seem to reciprocate his advances. She spurred him time and time again, Demeter convinced Apollo that she was just shy, that she just needed a little reassurance… but still her daughter wasn't interested and she couldn't understand why…

…until now.

Now as Demeter gazed at Hades she tried to see what it was that could possibly attract her lovely daughter to such a grim and unseemly god. He wasn't much to look at in her opinion. His distrustful golden orbs were set in a long angular face topped with that mass of blue flames, his long pointed nose was set above those full blue lips. Over all Hades gave off a sinister appearance, out of all Cronos' children his youngest son was the one that closely resembled him personality-wise… he was a great thinker, a leader and a teacher. Looks-wise the titan looked more like Zeus, with Hades' eyes and Poseidon's pigmentation. Looks-wise Hades looked more like their grandmother's brother Erebus, the God of Darkness. He and his wife Nyx, the Goddess of Night, lived on the Eastern side of the Underworld, after Cronos had attempted and failed to eat his three sons the couple had adopted Hades as their own child to protect him from his murderous father… the god had been raised in the Underworld along with their three daughters, the Fates, and their son, Hypnos, far away from the rest his siblings who had all been raised by Gaia and the Ash-Nymphs on the surface… Demeter had reasoned that this was why Hades distanced himself from the other gods, because in a way he felt as though he didn't belong with them, but he was a son of Cronos, Olympus was rightfully his as much as the rest of his children… that was why he had resented Zeus. Rhea had wanted them to share power, as her husband proved… absolute power corrupts absolutely… but Zeus took charge, he was Mr Universe, the Cosmic Overlord and he assigned the Underworld to Hades. Demeter could see the logic behind this… Hades had been raised in the Underworld, he knew it best out of all the Olympians, he was the natural choice… but how had Hades seen it?

He'd grown up in gloomy, darkness with ,what he thought were, his three bizarre sisters Lachesis, Clotho and Atropos, and laid-back big brother Hypnos.. Until one day a strange golden-skinned man appeared in the Underworld claiming to be his brother, that his siblings needed his help to defeat their father.. Naturally Hades didn't believe him, not until both Nyx and Erebus sat him down and told him the whole story… he was adopted, his real name was Aidenous, they'd changed it so his father wouldn't recognise him as the same baby he had once tried to eat… and so, after a few flames, Hades accepted his fate and went to war, to help his biological siblings defeat their tyrannical father Cronos together… then once he was defeated Hades was planning to explore the surface, having grown up with nothing but darkness and gloom he was fascinated by how different everything was on the surface and in the seas. However before he got the chance to do anything.. Zeus threw him the keys to the Underworld telling him that he was in charge of it now.. And so once again, Hades was surrounded in doom and gloom… feeling both alone and betrayed by his 'family'…

'Mother..' Persephone's soft voice punctured her thoughts.

Demeter turned to her daughter once more…

Persephone's brilliant green eyes were close to tears now, she suddenly clutched Demeter's green hands in hers while looking worried by her mother's unusually long silence, perhaps scared that even after everything she had said to her mother Demeter would still not approve of her relationship with Hades. As Persephone's terrified eyes darted back and forward between her mother's cornflower blue eyes for some sign that Demeter at the very least understood that she loved Hades with all her heart..

Demeter continued to stare glassy-eyed at her daughter's pained expression, seeing clearly the torture she was causing to her only daughter but unable to react to it..

Did Persephone really think she could save him? Was it really that simple… to save Hades from the crushing pile of self-loathing and vengeful anger that was threatening to destroy what could be a great and powerful god… was the love of her sweet little girl able to do that? She'd already witnessed how much more tender he was towards her baby girl than he had ever been with any other being in the cosmos… then something stirred in Demeter's memory, from the night of Persephone's birth…

* * *

The Goddess of Nature remembered the birth of her little Cora well, not just because she had finally received the daughter she had always wanted but because of the arrival of the Fates… It had always been tradition for the gods to seek out the Fates for a sneaky glimpse into what their child might be capable of when they were older, this was why most god's had names that reflected their jobs, but it wasn't often that the three women sought out the baby… that was usually considered an ill-omen…

_Demeter was clutching her tiny white-skinned girl tightly to her chest and edging fearfully closer to Iason, eyeing the three women warily._

'_What do you want?' The Nature Goddess sounded timidly turning to her white-skinned husband for support, Iason clenched his jaw tight but eyed the three women guardedly. It wasn't his place to challenge the will of the Fates.._

_The blue-skinned Clotho smiled, her wrinkled visage looking even more creepy because of it._

'_Don't look so worried Demeter..' She sounded soothingly._

'_-we just popped by to see your beautiful baby girl..' Lachesis added brightly._

'_I don't think that now's the time ladies..' Iason stood up to his full seven foot height, towering over the three Fates but smiling kindly like the gentle giant he was. '-you see my wife really needs her rest..'_

'_Oh don't worry Iason dear..' Atropos sounded in her hushed gravely voice and waving him off. '-this won't take very long..'_

_Then all three women turned to Demeter and her tiny white-skinned little girl who was wrapped up in a pink blanket, a lock of tiny golden hair poked out the top. Her eyes were closed and a small smile of satisfaction was noticeable under the tiny thumb she was sucking._

_Iason frown momentarily then it softened realising that there was no point in arguing with these women, they were obviously going to do this with their permission or not and it was easier this way… The demi-god sighed and ran a hand through his light-brown hair before resuming his seat beside his anxious-looking wife. The Goddess of Nature felt her husband squeeze her tiny-green fingers reassuringly and she felt herself relax instantly, she turned her warm cornflower blue eyes to his brilliant green ones, she saw nothing but love reflected in those eyes. She then turned to the three goddesses of Fate and smiled warmly at them._

'_Don't you usually wait for us to come to you..' Demeter sounded slightly confused, finding it slightly odd that the Fates had sought them out rather than vice-versa._

'_Usually..' Clotho sounded smirking._

'_-but this is a special baby..' Lachesis added cheerfully causing Atropos to nudge her and frown, muttering about 'tact'._

_Demeter's face was a picture as her jaw fell open in shock… special? So there was a prophecy involved.. Iason appeared to be wondering the same thing as his green eyes narrowed suspiciously and he asked the unspoken question.._

'_Special how?' His voice was as guarded as his eyes. The three Fates smiled a devious grin at each other._

'_What does this have to do with Cora..' Demeter sounded anxiously when they failed to answer her husband, the tiny baby in her arms gurgled at the distressed tone of her mother._

'_Deme… relax sweetheart, you don't want to upset the baby do you?' Iason sounded in his low soothing voice and the goddess sighed smiling wearily._

'_Cora!' All the Fates squawked outraged by the name choice._

'_It was her choice not mine..' Iason sighed heavily shaking his head, his wife had pretty much chosen the name the second she'd discovered it was a girl ignoring all her husband's suggestions._

'_What?' Demeter sounded in a defensive tone as her tiny Cora began to whimper as the volume level in the room increased. The goddess began to shush her daughter rocking her gently. 'There is nothing wrong with the name 'Cora'..' She hissed at all four of them glaring._

'_No there's not..' Lachesis said matter-of-factly and Demeter sighed grateful that someone was agreeing with her. '-but it won't do for this child..' The pale green-skinned Fate added firmly folding her arms._

_Demeter made a small noise of irritation in the back of her throat then placed her now sleeping baby daughter in the crib next to her._

'_What about Persephone…' Clotho suggested causing the goddess to look up and frown offended._

'_I am not calling my daughter 'The Bringer of Destruction'!' The Nature Goddess hissed crossly, careful not to wake her little girl who was sucking her thumb and happily gurgling in her sleep._

'_It also means 'She of Light-Bearing face'..' Clotho sounded rolling the only eye in her socket wearily._

'_Both versions will be quite apt for this goddess in the future..' Atropos chipped in smiling mysteriously._

'_Y'know…' Iason sounded thoughtfully rubbing his chin. 'Persephone's not a bad name..'_

'_What?' Demeter screeched turning to her husband in disbelief._

'_Oh come on Deme…' Iason rolled his eyes affectionately at his wife's irritation. '-we could give her one of those cute little nicknames.. like 'Persie'..'_

'_You can call her Persie-' Demeter hissed. 'I'm calling her Cora!'_

'_Fiine sweetiekins…' Iason drawled deciding it wasn't worth arguing with Demeter on the first day of his little Persephone's existence. Demeter's pursed lips twisted into a smile before Atropos' words hit home and she swivelled around to the eldest Fate._

'_What do you mean both meanings are apt?' Demeter sounded worried. 'What's going to happen to my daughter in the future?'_

_The three Fates shared a knowing smile before turning to both Demeter and Iason who were looking anxious._

'_These events are yet to unfold… we feel it's wise if they remain untold..' The three women cackled loudly before vanishing in a swirling vortex which closed as the Eye of Fate blinked._

_For a moment their laughing echoed the farmhouse the Nature Goddess shared with her demi-god husband._

'_What do you think they meant by that?' Iason finally asked his wife unsurely._

'_I don't know…' Demeter sounded worried turning to her tiny baby girl who had slept through most of the Fate's strange visit. She stroked her daughter's tiny white cheek with one finger gently.'-but we'll have to keep a close eye on her… especially since the Fates have taken an interest in her..'_

* * *

'Mother…' Persephone's voice sounded bringing Demeter out of her sudden memory flashback. '-hello… Olympus calling..' The lilac-skinned goddess snapped her fingers causing her mother's eyes to snap back into focus.

'They knew…' Demeter sounded faintly. '-they knew all this time..'

'Huh?' Persephone's brow twisted confused. 'Who knew what?' Demeter didn't answer but looking as though her world was crashing around her… The Fates had known ever since Persephone had been born that she was to be with Hades… She glanced over at him now as he stared out at the gods, not really watching them just trying not to get in between of her and Persephone. She was so conflicted and the overwhelmed by the amount of feelings that were crashing in waves over her body…

Hades was the ruler of the Underworld so in a sense he was Death itself although he wasn't officially known as the God of Death, and her precious baby had just been proclaimed as the Goddess of Life. She remembered Gaia teaching her about Nature when she was Persephone's age and her grandmother's words floated back over her:

'_Life and Death are connected, they are destined to walk hand in hand for all eternity..'_

But she was only talking about the Cycle of Nature, wasn't she? She wasn't referring to the gods that were charged with these jobs… but then again? If Persephone was the embodiment of Life itself and she had fallen for a god who was the ruler of Death, wouldn't it be her duty as the Goddess of Nature to allow these two gods to become one…

Still, this was her baby girl… the only piece of her beloved husband Iason that she had left on this earth… how could she just stand aside and see her swept up and taken off to the Underworld..?

Demeter then turned to her child… Persephone was hanging her head, tears were rolling down her cheeks… the green-skinned goddess felt a pinch of guilt for causing her daughter this pain..

Persephone was seeking her approval, what kind of mother would she be if she said no…?

_

* * *

_

Little Notes:

_Hey Everybody, another Demeter chapter for you… I'm trying to show how torn she is between her duty, what's best for her daughter and herself so please don't think too badly of her…_

_Ok, just let me explain Hades' back story a little bit… There are two myths based on Cronos eating his children, the more popular version is that he ate all of them but Zeus, Rhea tricked her husband into eating a rock instead. Later Zeus returned and freed his siblings by getting his father drunk and causing him to throw up, blah, blah, blah and so forth…. But there is a lesser known version of the story in which Cronos ate his first two sons then when he ate the rock he couldn't keep it down. So when he threw up, he not only brought up the rock but his children too. Annoyed by this Cronos seized both his youngest sons, hurling Poseidon into the sea and Hades into Tartarus. So when Zeus was old enough, he had to first track down his two brothers before he could take on his father Cronos… of course, once again I've done a little twisting of my own so Hades was adopted by Erebus and Nyx, the Underworld residents at the time of the Titan rule, it not only explains why Zeus would give the Underworld to Hades but also gives the fiery god an actual reason to feel like an outsider amongst the rest of his family…_

_Ok, the name change by Erebus and Nyx is based on truth too… 'Hades' literally means 'the invisible' but this name is a late edition, his original name is 'Aidenous' which means quite literally 'Home' which sounds like something Rhea would give him at birth… but of course, what kind of name is that for an Underworld ruler…?_

_I hope you like the little flashback to the day Persephone was born, I've been itching to do some Iason writing for awhile, I see him as a 'gentle giant', he could be firm when he needed to be but mostly he was quite happy to fall back and let Demeter take charge, I also see him as the type to spend hours at a time doting on his daughter as she does come across as a bit of a Daddy's Girl…_

_Take Care Peeps…_

…_Please Review, it means so much…_

_Lot's of Love Ditzy xXx_

_P.S…. Disney Princess thank you for painstakingly reviewing every chap, wasn't necessary but appreciated all the same… x_


	36. All's Fair in Love and War,,,

_Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me._

_Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…_

…_and please feel free to check out my deviantART page (address is in my profile page)…_

_thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx…._

* * *

__

**The Plight of Persephone **

_**Chapter Thirty-Six:**__**All's Fair in Love and War**_

Hades lent against his pillar and sighed heavily. Persephone might only be a few feet away trying to convince her mother that she could do a lot worse than marry him but it didn't stop the mind-numbing boredom that was now crashing over the fiery god. Hades' heavy-lidded yellow eyes lazily scanned the crowds of happy gods until the sound of arguing attracted his attention.

Swivelling his flaming head towards the source of discord in an otherwise happy environment, then a wide snake-like leer twisted Hades' full blue lips as he caught sight of Ares and Athena arguing.. If it wasn't his favourite pair of duelling deities… Good old Ares, he could always be counted upon to heat up a party just the way Hades liked it…

The fiery Lord of the Underworld snickered to himself at the memory of Pelus and Thetis' wedding fifty years ago._ Man, that had been a hoot… _Of course Hades hadn't been planning to go, then Ares had shown up in the Underworld insisting that this was not something the fiery god wanted to miss. So Hades had went and the two gods had roared with laughter as Zeus tried desperately to control the situation before eventually giving up, leaving his wife Hera, daughter Athena and Aphrodite in the hands of a flustered and stressed out Hermes.

Hades' eyes narrowed at the two warring siblings as he listened to their snide remarks, the other gods nearby were deliberately ignoring them…

'Well, dear brother..' Athena was saying with a satisfied smirk. '-as I've said before, possession _is_ nine tenths of the law and _my_ minion possesses her..'

'She's not an object..' Ares puffed out is big red chest and glared a his slim blue-armoured sister. '-she's a Spartan princess and you better return her to my city or else I'll invade Athens and have her brought back..' Ares paused then remembered something else, smirking at his sister with a devious leer. '-by the way, what happened to _said_ minion anyway?'

Athena blinked with momentary surprise, realising that she actually had no idea what had happened to her minion since he had gone on some mission to get himself a Spartan bride. Recovering and smiling, the Goddess of Wisdom decided to bluff.

'He's on a top-secret mission..' She sounded snottily while folding her arms tightly across her chest causing Ares to burst out laughing.

'Oh yeh, right…' The God of War snickered the rolling his eyes. '-last I heard, him and his stupid buddy Pierithous were off on some hair-brained mission to grab another bride.'

Athena paused before glaring at Ares who was smirking in a self-satisfied manner.

'Oh don't be so ridiculous..' She pouted moodily, narrowing her deep blue eyes. Unfortunately, she had a sneaking suspicion that Ares was correct. She hadn't seen Theseus in six months.

When Theseus returned to Athens after defeating the Minoutaur, with a little help from a teenage Hercules of course, it took him a while to get used to becoming a king. Naturally, it did help when he finally gave up on that 'Grim Avenger' nonsense and stopped self-commentating everything he did. Still, Athena had never approved of his friend from Lapith, she thought he was a law into himself and that Theseus would land himself in some serious trouble if he continued to let himself be led on by this 'Pierithous'.

'-Theseus knows better than to run off with that hooligan..' Athena sounded firmly reminding herself of the firm discussions she had had with the former hero on the subject and how the young king had assured her that he wouldn't let himself get sucked into anything stupid.

Ares merely chuckled amused by his perfect sister's loss of modesty.

'Well it doesn't change anything..' He sounded sternly getting back to the main issue. '-he better hand back Helen or else it's war Athena..'

'Bring it on you war mongering twit!' The Goddess of Wisdom hissed…

Hades flashed a nasty leer in their direction… it seemed that those two nitwits in the Chair of Forgetfulness had been causing more trouble than he realised. So they had stolen some Spartan princess and irritated Ares in the process. The fiery god rubbed his hands together with devious glee… oh, if anybody could be counted on to overreact it was Ares, plus the fact that it was one of Athena's minions that had ticked him off was the icing on the baklava…

Oh-hoh, he was getting married and a war was about to break out… this autumn was going to be _sweeet_..

* * *

'Hades, we need to talk..' A female voice sounded causing Hades to suddenly swivel around to see Persephone and Demeter were standing beside him. The fiery god blinked at Demeter's words then clocked Persephone's expression, she looked slightly concerned and this made the fiery god nervous.

'I won't pretend that you were the kind of god that I pictured my Cora marrying..' Persephone felt a scarlet blush cross her cheeks, why did her mother have to be so embarrassing? '-but after talking to my daughter I can see that you both feel very strongly for each other..' For a moment Hades stared blankly at her before smiling widely.

'So… your ok with me marrying your daughter?' The fiery god responded in amazement.

'Of course, I just want her to be happy..' Demeter sounded softly smiling at Hades. '-besides, you rule your own realm, my daughter could do a lot worse..'

'Heh… that's a matter of opinion babe..' Hades snickered causing Persephone to elbow him in the ribs with a slight frown.

'So what happens in the spring when I'm supposed to live on the surface..' Persephone sounded softly but to her surprise Demeter smiled amused by her daughter's words.

'Persephone, sweetheart… Zeus only said that you had to make sure life continues and you don't have to _live_ on the surface to do that...' The Goddess of Nature flashed them devious smile. Persephone blinked in amazement at her mother while Hades' eyes narrowed as a smirk twisted appeared on his full blue lips.

'Demeter, you sneaky little fox..' The fiery god nudged his future mother-in-law, raising his brows delighted by the fact that the usually goody-two-shoes goddess had a crafty side.. it proved that the two of them were related.

Demeter chuckled lightly.

'There is just one little thing that might be an issue..' The green-skinned goddess sighed suddenly looking glum.

'What is it mother?' Persephone sounded nervously while Hades rolled his eyes in an 'I knew it was to good to be true' manner..

'A lot of gods up here don't want you two to get married..' She sounded gently and Hades snorted with casual disregard. '-they're still irritated about how you stood up to Zeus and duped him into getting Hades off the hook..'

'So what?' The fiery Lord of the Underworld shrugged then frowned. '-I don't care what those cloud-loving, Zeus-kissing losers think…'

'Perhaps not..' Demeter continued. '-but Zeus does, and although he doesn't have an issue with the two of you being together, if enough of the gods banded together in protest he would have to decree that you cannot be wed just to avoid being ousted like our father Cronos..'

'What are you saying mother?' Persephone said softly, her large green eyes widened anxiously.

'Well..' Demeter sounded thoughtfully. '-if the two of you married before they found out about the engagement then there's nothing they could do, they would just have to accept it..'

'Isn't that how Hera and Zeus decided to get married when Rhea objected to their union?' Hades asked pondering over the idea.

Demeter sighed and narrowed her eyes at her brother and future son-in-law.

'Yes Hades, it is.. and would it kill you to call her mom?' She sighed shaking her head at the fiery god's refusal to acknowledge Rhea as his mother.

'Demeter, babes..' Hades drawled leaning into her with a lazy smirk. '-she didn't raise me so as far as I'm concerned.. she ain't my mom, 'kay..' The fiery god frowned at her for a brief moment, as far as he was concerned his only parents were Nyx and Erebus, they were the ones who had raised him and loved him as one of their own. Rhea might be his birth mother but she had never been present in his life and the only time Hades ever labelled Cronos 'Dad' was when he wanted to show what a rotten parent he was, there was no way he would ever want to have anything to do with that twisted, creaky old Titan… he could just stay in Tartarus and rot for all Hades cared..

But still… Hades liked the idea of a secret wedding, they could do it in the Underworld where the other deities couldn't pry… of course, he'd have to fish some high priest out of the Styx to conduct the wedding but that was no biggie, the imps could do that while he decked out the throne room for the gloomy wedding…

'But mother..' Persephone's voice cut through Hades' mental wedding preparations. '-you won't be able to come..' The Great Harvest festivals would continue over the next month if they were to marry without the other knowing they'd have to get hitched while the nature goddess was busy.

'I know..' Demeter sighed heavily. '-but that's just the way it's meant to be… but don't worry, once winter is in effect I will be down to check-up on the two of you..' She beamed at the two deities widely.

'Oh joy..' Hades uttered half-rolling his eyes, just what he wanted… an interfering mother-in-law.

The fiery god glanced out and noticed that the sun was setting in the west, realising that the imps had been left in the Underworld by themselves for far too long Hades needed to find a way of leaving the festivities now. The problem was finding an excuse that wasn't going to make him come across as a complete jerk to his mother-in-law… somehow Hades figured his usual pretexts just weren't going to cut it.. Luckily for the fiery god, his amazingly perceptive and understanding missus caught sight of the slight crease of concern that crossed his brow and .

'We have to go don't we?' Persephone sounded gently entwining her dainty lilac fingers in his large greyish-blue hand. Hades flashed her a grateful smile before sighing heavily.

'Unfortunately, we do babe..' The fiery god responded softly. '-it's the curse of the Underworld, while all these gods get to lounge around up here we get slapped with a full-time gig-' Hades turned and gestured in the direction of a drunken Zeus who was now hanging off of Hera. '-thanks to that yutz over there..' Hades glared over at him, although he was secretly grateful that at least he couldn't get loaded enough to make a total twit of himself in front of the entire pantheon of gods… mind you, he had always been an angry drunk and he'd probably end up picking a fight with one of the other deities over something stupid..

The three of them headed out of the Great Coliseum and over to where Hades had parked his griffin. The fiery god let Persephone board the twisted black chariot first before he got in beside her and twirled the thick black reins around his large greyish-blue fingers. Persephone lent over to her mother who was looking tearful once more.

'I guess your not my little flower anymore..' Demeter sighed dabbing a tear away with a small white handkerchief. Persephone smiled and shook her head.

'Mother… you know I love you but do you think you could do me one thing?' The Goddess of Life said still beaming in her girly fashion.

'Anything pumpkin..' Demeter replied smiling tearily back.

'Please stop calling me Cora.. I'm not a little kid anymore..'

Hades flashed Demeter one of his nicer smirks, but it still managed to come off as some-kind of twisted leer, then without a word he yanked the reins hard causing the griffin to spread it's wings with a heinous cry. As the chariot shot forwards Persephone's arms wrapped tightly around her beloved god's waist and her long golden hair streamed out behind her as they shot off the cloud into the cool night air.

As the chariot dropped Persephone twisted around and readjusted her grip so she could wave her mother off with one last smile before she and Hades dipped below the cloud line, hurtling downwards towards the Underworld…

Demeter waved them both off with her small chubby green hand. She felt a hint of sadness about the fact that her last baby had finally left the nest, but she felt a hint of contentment too because her daughter had found happiness… perhaps it wasn't with someone she had originally intended her daughter to be with but he loved her for who she was…

'I know your not a little girl…' Demeter uttered softly, knowing her voice would be carried on the wind. '-and I'm proud of you..'

_

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_

Little Notes:

_Hey Everybody, I must admit I was really sad when I finished writing this story… writing this has been so much fun and I never wanted it to end… but it's also been an emotional journey for me too, in many cases during writing this I've had to dig deep through my own emotional well just to find the right way of expressing things like loss, pain and grief… I've tried so hard to keep most of the characters the way Disney intended them to be without betraying the myths themselves.. It has resulted in a lot of painstakingly tough research and tweaking of the original myths to give them an original edge but I am pleased with the final result.._

…_I know there are probably going to be some of you who are dissatisfied with the fact that I don't make Persephone travel back and forth every six months like she does in the 'popular' myths but if you do your research properly there is a lesser known version. In this version Persephone refused to return to the surface choosing to stay with her husband in the Underworld, it does cut out the cutsie springtime story but also explains why Persephone is always in the Underworld ready to greet those few who arrive, i.e. Psyche, Orpheus (both who will be appearing in stories soon) and heroes like Hercules…_

…_I would also like to point out that the all-important pomegranate will be used in the sequel to this story which I will begin writing soon now that I have outlined the basic plot… more info on this will be at the end of the epilogue…_

…_ok, the aftermath of Theseus' theft of Helen was pretty much how it was written in myth (with of course, a few tweaks to the myth.), his mother was kidnapped and held for random, but I thought that it would be fun to include Athena and Ares in this little spat as they were always looking for an excuse for a fight in the series of Hercules… while Hades pretty much reacts just as you would expect him to.. (I used the Tiff on Olympus episode as inspiration for this).._

_Lot's of Love…. Ditzy xXx_


	37. Epilogue

_Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me._

_Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…_

…_and please feel free to check out my deviantART page (address is in my profile page)…_

_thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx…._

* * *

_**The Plight of Persephone **_

_**Epilogue:**__**Oh… I Almost Forgot…**_

_Three months later…. give or take a few days…_

Hercules descended the last step to the Underworld and sighed heavily… for a living mortal he spent _waaay_ too much time down here.. but Athena had given him this mission and he knew better than most that the Goddess of Wisdom was not to be crossed.

Things had recently gone from bad to worse ever since Ares had declared war on the city of Athens three months ago. For once Hercules was glad that he lived in Thebes, it meant that he didn't have to get in the middle of this ridiculous spat between Ares and Athena over one of his former classmates. Once Helen of Troy had finished school, and finally ditched Adonis, she had got together with a Spartan prince and the happy couple had gotten married.

Hercules didn't know the exact details of how Helen had ended up in Athens but apparently Theseus and one of his friends had kidnapped her from her home. Phil hadn't been surprised by this information and merely commented that Theseus deserved what he got for taking advice from that 'mook' Pierithous.. All the young hero knew was that now Athena and Ares were at each other's throats and their father Zeus was sick of the arguing..

Athena had tried her best over the last three months to keep her city state from falling apart without a ruler but it was proving fruitless… Ares' first tactical move penetrated the Athenian defences easily and the Spartans made off with Theseus' mother, the idea being to not only spook the young king out of hiding but to also offer her up as a trade… basically, 'give us Helen or your mother get's it'.. when this failed to gain a response Ares seethed and began threatening Athena with a aggressive conquest of Athens if Theseus did not return the princess to her rightful home.

Desperate now, the Goddess of Wisdom had sent Hermes to find out what exactly had happened to the king of her estate and when the tiny blue Messenger God finally returned the news was grim… Theseus was being held prisoner in the Underworld, his crime… attempting to kidnap the Queen of the Underworld… and Hades was not known for his leniency towards intruders… so the goddess Athena turned to the greatest hero in Greece for help and Hercules reluctantly accepted the job… this was the first time he and Hades had come face to face since the young hero had knocked him into the Vortex of Fire over eighteen months ago. Hercules was nervous about the meeting, he wished the circumstances could be different…

Hercules stepped confidently towards the end of the black jetty by the glowing blue river Styx and sure enough, a long black gondola arrived..

'Be gone mortal..' The familiar bony figure of Charon sounded. '-none but the dead may-' The skeletal boatman paused at the sight of Zeus' mortal son standing on the jetty. 'Oh it's you.' He commented dryly.

'I'm here to see Hades..' Hercules sounded confidently and held out two silver drachmas. Charon merely gazed at him for a moment before he gestured for the young hero to get in.

'I know…' He flashed a wide bony leer. '-the Boss has been expecting you..'

* * *

'Jerkules..' Hades drawled lazily from his throne as Persephone guided the young hero into their throne room. After three months in the Underworld the young Queen's skin had returned to it's usual pearly white and she was clothed once more in her tight-fitting black chiton.

Hercules felt a little sick as his flame-haired uncle flashed him a wide gleeful leer.

'Didja see the new souls? They're hot off the gondola Wonder Brat..' The fiery god of the Underworld sounded practically bouncing with delight in his throne. 'Athena and Ares must be driving Bolt Boy nuts! Oh-hoh, I wish I could see his face..' Hades then sighed dramatically, waving a hand in casual dismissal. '-but, unfortunately with war goin' on up there things down here tend to get a little hectic, not that I'm complainin' of course, it gets me outta havin' to talk to the mother-in-law..' This was true, when Demeter had come to visit only a couple of weeks ago Hades had been thrilled to have a genuine reason to get away from her many criticisms… she may be ok with them being married but it didn't stop her from poking her nose into things that didn't concern her..

'Hades..' Persephone sounded half-scolding half-amused.

'Alright, alright..' Hades flashed a heavy-lidded smirk at his wife. '-settle down babe..' He then looked briefly confused at her. '-so, where was I?'

'You were talking about the war between Athens and Sparta sweetie..' The young goddess flashed her husband a girly smile.

'Oh yeh…' Hades drawled slouching back into his throne with a sigh before suddenly snapping into a serious mode and fixing Hercules with a stern glare. '-you've come here for Theseus haven't ya?' He shot accusingly at the young hero.

'Yes-' Hercules sounded stiffly.

'I figured you'd be down for him at some point..' Hades sounded rising from his throne and snapping his fingers, causing the large ornate sofa-type chair that had been occupying the dining room for the last nine months to suddenly materialise out of a curl of heavy black smoke. '-seems almost a shame to let him go..' The god drawled musingly as he studied the two scruffy mortals that were stuck in the Chair of Forgetfulness.

Hercules couldn't help but gawp in a mixture of shock and revulsion at the two mortals in the chair. Hades' gleeful gloating towards the two mortals imprisoned on this demonic chair was enough to make him sick but the young hero could hardly believe what he was seeing… both Theseus and his friend Pierithous seemed to have become one with the chair, they weren't bound or attached to the chair in any way, it just seemed as though they had just lost the will to get up. They were completely emasculated, their almost lifeless heads were drooping low into their laps and their hair was so overgrown that it was hard to tell one from the other, they just looked like empty shells of what they had once been… no long the great leaders they once had been..

'Whoa..' Hades sounded as he clocked the heavy bearded and long shaggy mane of Theseus. '-can't send ya back to the surface lookin' like that can we?' He smirked then suddenly whipped out a cut-throat razor from nowhere.. 'Ok These-yutz, word to the wise babe, don't move..' The fiery god's razor-welding hand moved in a blur over the shaggy mortal's face.. Then the moment Hades pulled away Theseus was back to his usual clean-shaven self.

'Hah, now that's what I call a close shave..' Hades sounded amused as the cut-throat razor vanished in a puff of smoke.

'Alright, I'm sicka lookin' at him..' The fiery god suddenly sneered and whipped around to Hercules. '-just get him outta here..'

The young hero stepped forwards and gripped Theseus by the arm and with an almighty tug the young King of Athens came free of the Chair of Forgetfulness. Then when Hercules turned for Pierithous Hades snapped his fingers causing the chair to vanish…

'Nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh. No…' The fiery god waggled his finger with a look of mock reprimand. '-just that yutz..' Hades flashed a wide grin at Hercules who scowled but didn't challenge his uncle.

Hades liked to go after those who insulted him in his own way and considering that it had been Pierithous who intended to take Persephone away from the Underworld, there was no chance that Hades was ever going to release him… all things considered the fiery Lord of the Underworld was actually not the most vindictive god in the cosmos. Theseus had been nothing more than extra entertainment, a chance to humiliate a hero was too good of an opportunity to pass up and also a chance to prove to himself that he hadn't lost his villainous edge… still, all good things had to end and oh boy, what an ending..

'Y'know Seph…' Hades drawled lazily as his wife appeared by his side. '-I think These-yutz the Minotaur Slayer owes us money..' Persephone blinked confused causing the fiery god to nudge her smirking and continuing in a dramatized voice, '-Mommy dearest kidnapped, Spartans running loose, Ares threatening a hostile takeover if Helen isn't returned safely to him… _this musta seemed like a vacation!_'

Hercules grimaced, there was definitely no help from Persephone as the young queen covered her mouth trying with difficulty as she giggled at her husband's words..

'And ya know what the best part is don'tcha?' Hades sounded softly, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling his beautiful wife right up against him..

'What's that?' She sounded barely repressing the sniggers.

'_He gets to leave his buddy behind!_'

Persephone erupted into a wave of girlish giggling again causing Hercules to sigh heavily while supporting a semi-conscious Theseus… the goddess' giggling subsided as she caught the slightly irritated look on the young hero's face.

'Oh relax sweet-face..' She sighed rolling her eyes. '-at least this Pandora's box is closed..'

'Heh, heh… yehh..' Hades sighed wiping a tear of amusement away. '-too bad hope doesn't work on this god huh?' Hercules glared at his aunt and uncle as they both snickered in mirth.

'But seriously..' Hades sounded clapping his nephew on the back. '-you have a safe trip up Wonder Boy, and say hi to nut-Meg for me..'

Slightly unnerved by this jovial and joking side to Hades, Hercules shifted Theseus slightly to better support him then turned and headed towards the exit..

'Oh and Herc, one more thing..' The Lord of the Underworld sounded causing his nephew to turn back bemused. Hades then twirled his wrist causing a sword to appear in it. The fiery god studied it for a moment before throwing it so it impaled itself in the stone floor at the young hero's feet. '-better take that with ya, he's gonna need it..' Hades smirked as Persephone's dainty white fingers curled around her husband's waist.

Sighing Hercules picked up the sword and turned back around… leaving Hades and Persephone to do whatever it was they did when nobody else was around…

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Little Notes:

_Hey peeps… I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone who has reviewed, alerted and added this to their favourites, this chapter is dedicated to all of you guys as each and everyone of you has contributed to this story, it sounds a little corny I know but I am pleased that you all enjoyed this story as much as I have in writing it for you… and I also hope that some of you will stick around for the sequel… Daddy's Little Hellraiser…_

_I don't want to give too much away at the moment but as the title suggests, Hades and Seph are trying for a baby while Hecate is plotting to takeover the Underworld… there's a few other surprises that are coming into the story and although it is not based on a myth, it will have myths thrown into it (which of course will all be tweaked) and there are a few new characters to come as well… so (hopefully) I'll see some of you when the first chap of D.H.L is ready and posted…_

_Take Very Good Care… _

_Lot's of Love… Ditzy xXx _


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